


Balance

by DerAndere



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2020-03-05 07:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 28,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18823732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerAndere/pseuds/DerAndere
Summary: Balance | In which Aang has a bunch oft illegitimate children (before he marries Toph), Katara and Zuko marry for political reasons (and fall in love along the way) and Sokka and Suki live half a world apart (but still make it work). Also, Azula's son is probably the sanest Royal, Mai becomes Earth Queen and half of Kyoshi Island winks at Ty Lee.  | AU | Oneshots





	1. The Future of the Air Nomads

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing this mostly to get some headcanons out of, well, my head and to improve my English.
> 
> Also, this is an AU practically completly disregarding the comics and LoK, as I neither read, nor watched those. (I'll take over some things, though, that I picked up and liked.)
> 
> Hope you enojy reading this.

_[105 AG]_

She'd know his little footsteps anywhere.

They hadn't seen - well, they hadn't met for months, as she had never and would never see him. Since the banquet in the Fire Nation Capital celebrating the engagement of Fire Lord Zuko and Master Katara of the United Southern Water Tribes that had the Avatar sulking all night like a little boy who'd been denied his favorite candy.

He'd of course smiled at the newly betrothed couple when they found a second to breath and talk to them all, to their friends, and he'd shown off some airbending tricks, like he always did, much to the delight of the party's guests.

He'd made an effort to be his usual cheery, polite self, but the longer the party dragged on and the more Shochu he downed as he sat beside her under a table, whining about his life, the more his true mood began too show, a damn bad mood, because - despite swearing otherwise - he clearly wasn't over Katara, yet.

When she'd barely understood what he tried to say - at this point, she honestly hadn't been sure anymore if he actually was attempting to speak or just deliberatly making weird noices -, she'd crawled out of their hiding spot to go find Sokka and make him help her drag Aang to his room.

He was the Avatar, after all, and it just wouldn't do for the people to see their beacon of hope, their savior drunk off his ass. It wouldn't do at all.

But when she'd come back with the young warrior, who had been very reluctant to leave his girlfriend, Aang was gone and he didn't turn up again until the next morning, not offering any explanation whatsoever for his disappearance, leaving soon thereafter, not to be seen again for ... oh, it had to be a year by now.

He wrote, of course, at least to her, maybe because he knew her well enough to understand that she'd kick his ass back to wherever he'd run off to as soon as they met again if he didn't.

"Toph?"

His heart seemed to beat so much stronger than when she first met him nearly five years ago, eventhough his feet still barely touched the ground.

Today, there was another heart beating just above his, fast and light like the flapping of a hummingbird's wings, but nobody stood before him.

"Long time no see, Twinkle Toes."

He snorted.

"Yeah."

And came a step closer.

"I looked for you at the school first, but I was told you'd be here."

"It's my day off."

She rolled her unseeing eyes, shaking her head.

"My mother insists I take one once in awhile."

"Sounds like a smart woman."

"She's just taking away my excuses for not sitting here all day, letting her doll me up."

"Well, if you're interested in my opinion, I think she did a very good job today."

"I'm not, but thanks anyway."

She patted the ground beside her.

"Sit down."

And he did, stretching his ridiculously long legs and sighing quietly, palms pressed firmly to the earth, and there still was the third human heart beating, most likely that of a small child, but that didn't make any sense, because where would he've gotten a baby?

"So ... you gonna tell me who's kid you ... well, kidnapped?"

"Nobody's. He's mine. His name's Furoto. Means 'float' in the ancient language of the Air Nomads, y'know?"

"Yours, huh?"

She hadn't been expecting that.

"Yup."

"How'd that happen?"

He was silent for a moment, then shrugged.

"Wasn't careful enough, I guess."

"Who's his mother?"

"I promised not to tell. Signed a contract, actually, her father made me. I think he's allowed to kill me now, if I ever mention her name to anybody. He wasn't very pleased when I refused to marry his only daughter after impregnating her."

"You did?", she asked, surprised.

He'd always struck her as the kind of guy to do the "right" thing, even if that meant sacrificing his own happiness in the long run.

"She asked me to. She wasn't ready to be a wife and a mother ... didn't think she'd ever be ready to raise a child, which is fine, you know. Not everybody's cut out to be a parent."

"But you are?"

"Not that I have much of a choice now, anyway, but so far, I think I've been doing pretty good. Furoto's not complained, yet, so that's good, right?"

She could hear the baby gurgling happily, as well as the soft smile in Aang's voice as he continued speaking.

"He's a very frugal child. As long as he's near me, he's happy. Right, buddy? You're the best baby there ever was, yes, yes, you are."

"You sound like you're talking to Appa or Momo. You scratch him behind the ears, too?"

"Sometimes", he replied without missing a beat. "But he likes it better when I pet his head or tickle his tummy, which Momo absolutely despises. Appa loves a good belly rub now and then, though."

"You're an idiot, Aang."

But she grinned when she said that and a moment later, she punched his upper arm, maybe a little gentler than she'd normally do, mostly because he had a baby strapped to his chest that was a lot more delicate than he'd ever been.

"Don't I know it."

He rubbed the sore spot.

"I really missed you, Sifu T. Not so much your way of showing affection, though, if I'm being honest, I can do without the bruises."

"You of all people need the tough love, airhead. And for the record, I've missed you, too. But don't tell anyone I said that, I've got a reputation to protect."

"Of course. Hey."

He repositioned himself a little beside her and lifted his hands.

"You wanna hold the future of the Air Nomads?"

"Sure. You wanna tell my why you didn't tell me about him in your letters? I mean, ... you find the time to send me, like, three lists of what you ate over the week, but you somehow forget to mention your son?"

"Well", Aang said, while freeing Furoto of the cloth that tied him to his chest, "I know your mother reads you my letters and while I don't know a lot about her, I do know some things about the typical noble woman. In my experience, they gossip a lot."

"They do."

She crinkled her nose.

"And I know I can't stop the world from whispering about him, because he's my child and people like to whisper about me. But as long as I can prevent it, I will. Plus, I wanted to tell you about him in person. All of you guys, actually, but you're the first on our little tour."

"I'm honored."

"You do know how to hold a baby, right?"

"If you can do it, Twinkle Toes, so can I."

She lifted an eyebrow challengingly and he shook his head, probably still smiling a too bright smile she sometimes wished she could see, just like she wished to see Suki's warrior make-up and the colour of Sokka's eyes and Zuko's scowl and the face Katara made when she was annoyed with them.

"Right. Well, prepare yourself. Here he comes, the Avatar's first son, Furoto the Great!"

"Uh-huh."

The baby was a little heavier than she'd expected, bigger in general, but he fit nicely in her arms and he made a delighted little sound when he got a hold of her dirty thumb, wrapping his small hand around it.

"Little guy's got a firm grip, huh?"

"He does. He's just perfect, isn't he?"

"Can't see his face, but as long as he's got all of his fingers and toes, I guess he is. Was there ever a non-perfect baby? I'm pretty sure I heard my mother say she thought I was perfect when I was a baby and I was blind and super fussy, if you believe Dad."

"You - a fussy baby? Who would've thought?", he gasped and would've earned himself another punch for that if she weren't holding his child.

"I know, right?", she said instead. "I mean, I'm calmness incarnated, now."

"Oh, you are", he laughed. "Never met a more peaceful person than you. Joke aside, though, you're my only friend patient enough to meditate with me. I missed that, too, while I was gone, because I meditated a lot."

"What difference does it make if you're sitting still alone or with me?"

"Your presence soothes me. Well, ... another person's presence in general, really, but - as I said - you're the only one meditating with me. I mean, ... Zuko did, when we were training, but he got fidgety pretty quickly, which isn't calming at all. I can't wait to teach Furoto all of that."

"Maybe you should wait a little with that. He can't even hold up his head alone, yet."

"Gotta start early, if he wants to be the youngest Master in airbending history."

"I thought you were the youngest Master."

"I am, but I wouldn't be sad about giving up that title to him. I'd still be the Avatar, Peacemaker and Savior of the World as we know it. I've got so much to show him when he gets bigger, Toph. Just imagine! Things the acolytes wouldn't ever be able to do or understand!"

"Well, I'd say that's because they're not airbenders. And speaking of bending again, how can you be so sure he's an airbender? I mean, ... I don't know where his mother's from, but it's entirely possible that he gets his bending from her side of the family, right? Or that he's not a bender at all."

She let her fingers wander over the baby's face, traced his perfectly arched eyebrows and his cute button nose, felt the soft fuzz on top of his little head.

"Just a feeling. The world needs airbenders, right? It's all about balance. And if some higher power doesn't decide to, like, ... give airbending to a bunch of random people, which I doubt will happen, because things are never that easy, all of the future airbenders have to be my descendants."

"Then one baby's not quite enough, don't you think?"

"Still got a lot of time to make more, right? I'm only seventeen."

"You're a hundred and seventeen. Wow. Sometimes, I forget what an old man you are, Twinkle Toes."

"Yeah, well, airbenders were always known to age very well", Aang retorted gravely.

"Right."

The young man tickled his son's toes, the bottom of his tiny feet, and the baby let out a tinkling laugh, squirmed a little in Toph's hold.

"You'll make him wiggle out of my arms."

"I'll stop before that happens, promise."

"It's your kid that'd fall on its head."

"It is", he said, nodding. "Thank you for trusting me to make the right decision regarding my offspring."

He put his hand over his heart, sighing theatricly.

"That means a lot."

"Anytime, you dork."

"I was kinda worried how you'd react to finding out about me being a father, you know? I figured you'd either be cool with it immediatly, like ... guess, you've got a baby now ... or you'd chew me out for not writing about him and ram me into the ground without asking questions first."

"Katara's gonna freak when she sees him and I want to be present for that. You won't take me with you if I hurt your pride."

"You killed my pride ages ago, Toph. And what's that about you coming with us? Don't you have a school to run? Won't your parents miss you?"

"I do and they will, but I won't be gone forever, will I?"


	2. Free as a Bird

_[105 AG]_

"So ... you guys didn't marry?"

"Well, we didn't have to. The nuns and monks weren't allowed to, as joining the monastery or convent meant to let go of all attachments and earthly possessions to ultimatly reach enlightenment. Those enlightened were said to float above the ground, nearly one with their element, and to never be reborn again, instead existing in this world, but outside of it at the same time, freed. It's ... very difficult to explain, really."

"I asked about marriage, Twinkle Toes, not some spirit mumbo jumbo."

Toph sighed.

Aang blinked.

"Right. Sorry. Everybody who wasn't a monk or a nun was of course free to marry, but few Air Nomads did that, at least in the traditional sense. Your parents are asking you to marry because they don't have a son to carry on the family name and take over bussiness. Katara's and Zuko's engagement, while they are great friends, doesn't come from love for each other, but from love for their nations."

"You actually did listen to that, did you?"

"I did. Didn't change how I felt, obviously."

"Obviously."

"So. Air Nomad marriage. Those ceremonies weren't about joining two families or continuing a bloodline or getting rid of the spare daughters you have sitting around-"

"How do you think the rest of the world works, dunderhead?"

"- they were about commitment to the ones you loved. Be that between a man and a woman or two men or a man and three women or the other way around. As long as you were certain you loved eachother, you could get bonded. I don't think the other nations ever really acknowledged those Bonding Ceremonies, though."

"How come you grew up in the Temple?"

"It was common practice to send children to the Temples for training. And kids born after the Fertility Festivals were always raised there."

She furrowed her brow.

"Fertility Festivals?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. They happened every four years or on really special occasions. I was present for three, but I don't remember much about the first one, as I was only three. They were great fun, though. Lots of food and music and dancing and poetry, everybody enjoyed themselves."

"You took part in this as kids?"

"Well, not in the actual 'fertility' part. For us, it was just playing with new friends and getting read stories. We'd help prepare everything, if the Festival took place at the Temple we lived in. I mean, ... we knew enough about what happened at night and behind closed doors, but we didn't see or hear anything. It's quite funny, actually. A few months after Zuko's coronation, we all went to the Sout Pole, do you remember? Me to help with rebuilding, you becaue you needed a break from your parents, Zuko-"

"Yes, yes, I remember the frosty hell. Never gonna go back there. Where're you going with this?"

He smiled.

"Well, a few days into our stay, Sokka and Zuko sat me down to give me something they called 'The Talk'. It was incredibly awkward and they wouldn't stoph talking, even after I told them that the monks were pretty open with that kinda stuff. They insisted on explaining how children were made and to avoid getting a girl pregnant and than tried to give me some tips. You know, about flirting and stuff. Zuko and Sokka, giving me flirting advice."

She snorted.

"What, you think you don't need it?"

"Oh, I probably did, but those two are very ill equipped to give this kinda advice."

They were still sitting in her parents' garden, Furoto back in Aang's arms, and for some reason she couldn't quite fathom, they were talking about Air Nomad culture, something she'd never been particularly interested in.

He'd started rambling about all the things he wanted to teach his son, things he'd never really talked about before - or maybe she just hadn't listened -, and somehow, all that had lead to him explaining about Fertility Festivals.

"Hey, Aang?"

"Hm?"

"Were you born after one of those festivals? 'Cause I don't remember you ever talking about your parents, only about Monk Gyatso."

"It's what I was told, at least. Usually, there were records to find out stuff like that. You know, just in case a kid's ever curious about their parents or if they got siblings, or whatever. Every novice who wasn't exclusivly raised at one of the temples had a record, too, so the monks or nuns knew, who to search for if something bad happened. I searched the Southern Air Temple for mine, just ... to know their names. It's not like I'd be able to find them, anyways, but I was really curious. And I did find it, along with a bunch of others. Most of the stuff was difficult to read, and I had a hard time even finding my card. Gyatso's name, I could only figure out because I knew who'd stand under guardian. Couldn't read much else, just that I was born at the Eastern Air Temple. So I don't really know."

He tilted his head, looking down at Furoto pensively.

"Does it bother you?"

"No. I didn't know them, obviously, and family was something very ... fluid ... in my culture. Everybody definied that term for themselves. Before the iceberg, Monk Gyatso and Appa were my family. The most important people in my world. Now it's Sokka and Zuko and Katara and Suki and you. Appa and Momo. And Furoto, of course. Especially Furoto."

"I can't image life without my parents", Toph said slowly. "I mean, ... yes, they can be annoying and I don't think they'll ever quite understand me, but ... they're my parents, nontheless. I really do love them."

"We've been raised very differently. But I think it's not wrong to say that who you consider family, you love dearly, no matter how you grew up."

"Unless you're Ozai."

He exhaled and Toph started drawing circles in the dirt with her finger tip.

"I ... do think that he loved Azula, at least. In a ... very, very twisted way. Maybe even Zuko and Iroh, at some point. He just always loved himself more than anything else."

"Azula was born lucky. Zuko was lucky to be born."

Aang's head snapped up, in her direction, confused, shocked that she would say something like that about their friend, a man, he'd thought, she practically considered a brother.

"What?"

"He said that. Zuko told me."

"That's ... horrible."

She stood and stretched her arms over her head, yawning.

"Well, now that I've effectively killed the good mood, we may as well go in, so my parents can freak out about hosting the Avatar."

"Your parents can't stand me."

"True, but you are still the Avatar and you're friends with not only the Fire Lord, but also the current Ambassador of the United Southern Water Tribes and future ... what, Fire Lady? The future Chieftain of the United Southern Water Tribes, the Captain of the Kyoshi Warriors and the Greatest Earthbender in History."

"The latter being their daughter", he said, amused.

"Yes, so they know to fear her wrath the most. C'mon."

"Let me just grab my staff."

 

* * *

 

"Mom?"

Aang smiled softly, because he knew very well that she could sense her mother in the house - he could, if he weren't wearing shoes, so there was no question that she didn't have a reason to call for her mother but to inform her about being back inside.

"In the drawing room, darling! Come sit with us."

Toph turned her head in his general direction, nearly meeting his eyes.

"I'll just tell her you're here. You can go up to my room, if you wanna, I'll be there in a sec."

"I can't not greet your mother. Also, sneaking into your room will just make your father dislike me more."

"Knock yourself out."

She shrugged and he skipped after her when she walked over to the room her mother occupied, presumably with some other noble women, and Furoto babbled happily to himself while sucking on his little fingers.

His friend stopped in the doorway.

"Aang's here."

He grinned and waved at the women staring at him, dumbstruck, probably because none of them had expected to see the Avatar when coming over for tea today.

"We're in my room, if you need us."

"Wait!", Poppy exclaimed and stood rather suddenly. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Avatar Aang. Will you be staying with us? I can have a room made up for you immediatly."

"I sat up camp just outside the city and plan on setting out for Kyoshi Island very early tomorrow morning, so no. But thank you so much for the offer, I appreciate it very much. I'd like to stay for dinner, though, if that wouldn't be too much trouble."

He still smiled bright enough to light up the room.

"Oh, none at all", Poppy replied quickly. "We'd be happy to have you."

"I'm planning on going with him, by the way. To Kyoshi Island. Just so you know", Toph said.

Her mother's friends started whispering amongst themselves and Poppy pulled a sad face.

"You do?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone. It's just that Twinkletoes here is planning on visiting some friends I haven't seen in a while, either. He'll bring me back in one piece. Right, Aang?"

"Of course."

The young man nodded enthusiatically.

"It'll be nice to travel together, again. And it can't be bad to have a human adult to talk to, once in while. Not that you're not great company, buddy", he said and that was, when the women first noticed the baby strapped to his chest, because it was half hidden behind Toph's shoulder. "Just not all that articulate yet, eh?"

His friend rolled her eyes, but he could see her surpressing a grin.

"Mom, meet Twinkletoes, Jr."

"That's not a very original nickname."

"Give me some time to get to know the kid."

"His actual name is Furoto", Aang explained and caressed the soft tuft of jet black hair on his son's head, making the little boy reach for him.

He gladly let him wrap his pudgy fingers around the tip of his thumb.

"He is an adorable child, Avatar. Will your wife be with us for dinner, too?"

"Oh, there's no wife."

He grinned cheekily.

"Still free as a bird, like an airbender should be. It's just Furoto and me."

The whispering grew louder.

Toph, who no doubt could understand the women far better than him - he was only catching random words; his title, her name -, seemed to have a hard time not speaking up, and he wondered why she kept quiet.

She never did when it was just them.

Then again, this was not Appa's back, it was her parents' house and it probably wouldn't do her any good to be rude to her mother's friends or the wifes of her father's business partners or whoever these women were.

"Sooo ... We'll go up to my room, now."

And with that, she grabbed his hand and dragged him with her.

"It was nice seeing you, again, Mrs Bei Fong!", he called over his shoulder, waving happily, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Toph's mother waving back hesitantly and seemingly a little confused.

"What was that?", Toph asked.

He had a hard time deciding if she sounded amused or annoyed.

"Whaddya mean?"

"About five seconds ago, you didn't want anyone to gossip about your son."

"Oh. Yeah, I hadn't thought of that ... Monkeyfeathers."

He scratched his head.

"I want to protect him from everyone and everything and at the same time, I'd like to scream about him from the mountain tops, so everybody knows about him, because I ... just love him so very much, ya know? I don't even notice. Sometimes, I had to rewrite entire letters because I was just rambling about him."

"Sounds just like you", she grinned.

"It's exciting."

She jumped up the stairs, letting go of his hand, and he followed her, thoughtful.

"Just the prospect of airbending with someone again. I always notice how much I miss the others when I'm flying with Teo. It's not nice, being the last of your kind. Just ask Appa, I'm sure he's lonely, too, without a mate and everything."

"You can't be sure if he's really the last, can you? Just like you don't know if you're the last airbender. I'd help you search, I'm sure Haru wouldn't mind looking after the school."

"You miss me that much?"

"I miss travelling that much. You'd just be a means to an end."

"You know how to make someone feel loved."

"And I'm not even trying", she sighed.

"Such a natural", he laughed.

"I mean it, though. About searching for your people."

"I know. Thank you. But we wouldn't be able to find any airbenders, because a hundred years is a lot of time to make sure they're gone. Descendants of them, maybe, but an airbending child has always been born to an airbending parent ... Or at least I never encountered an airbender who got their bending because it skipped a generation or three, like with Katara and you."

"My mother is an earthbender."

He lifted an eyebrow.

"She is?"

"Oh, yeah. She didn't get much training, though. Bending isn't important for women like her, they're meant to be nice little housewives, obedient and quiet. Men may train, but it's deemed improper for a woman. They're mostly just taught the basics so they don't accidentally destroy anything."

"You had a master when we met."

"The badger moles?"

He lifted a brow, grinning bemused.

"Yu."

"Oh, yeah. As I said, I was trained so I wouldn't crush myself with a rock at some point. Earthbending doesn't skip generations, either, as far as I know. If my kids aren't earthbenders, theirs won't be, either."

"Your kids, huh?"

"Not for, like, another thirty years, obviously."

He laughed.

"Thirty? Furoto'll have children by then!"

"Not my problem."

She pushed open a door and he followed her into the adjoining room, her room, that he'd never stepped foot in before, he realized; whenever he happened to be in Gaoling and visiting Toph, she was very adamant on spending as much time away from her parents' house as possible.

They went to the Earth Rumble and smaller earthbending competitions, she tried teaching him metal bending, when they found the time - he doubted he'd ever master it -, sometimes, they disguised themselves and pretended to be just two normal teens, not war veterans or heros or anything.

Just Toph and Aang.

(Or Lan and Kuzon, Ju and Lee. Whatever names came to mind when taken by surprise.)

That was the most fun, he thought.

The room was bare of any decorations, which wasn't really surprising, given that she couldn't see, anyways, but there was a bed that looked way more comfortable than anything he'd ever slept in and a wooden dresser and clothes were strewn all over the floor.

In one corner lay a big, oddly shaped rock, some more stones and metals scattered a desk standing right under a window. She'd taken to studying the materials she bended meticulously over the past few years, and there was a shelf filled with books, which he really hadn't expected.

"I didn't know you could read", he blurted.

She laughed.

"Neither did I. It's not exactly reading, obviously. I mean, not like you do it, anyways"

The young man pulled one of the books out as his friend closed the door and when he opened it, the pages were blank at first glance, but embossed with tons of ... dots.

He ran his fingers over them.

"Zuko taught me last year. After the big announcement. I stayed for a while, helping with reconstruction, and as payment, our dearest Fire Lady taught me how to read. He says the Fire Sages invented it and sends me book with each of his letters. Asks question about the others, too, to make sure I read them."

She rolled her eyes.

"He's like the annoying big brother I never wanted."

"Makes you practically royalty, then, huh?"

"Please. I'm a Bei Fong; I've always been practically royalty."


	3. Succession

_[124 AG]_

"I have been thinking about making you my successor."

Zunok didn't look up.

"You have two firebending children, Uncle", he said slowly. "With all due respect, I do not see why it would be necessary to make me the heir to your throne. I'm only fourth in the line of succession."

"Your mother has been permanently removed from that line years before you were born."

"I tend to forget. Well, third, then. Doesn't make much of a difference, does it? You won't step down for at least another five years and that still would be extremly early, considering not only how long past Fire Lords ruled in general, but your actual age. You'd only be forty-five, that's nothing. Raoshu will be twenty by then, more than old enough to take over for you, don't you think?"

Zuko exhaled slowly.

"You are third in line", he agreed. "For now, at least. But I am the Fire Lord, Zunok. It's in my power to name you my heir."

"Doesn't the Council have to agree?"

"I already ran the idea by them, hypothetically, of course, and they weren't as oppposed to it as you seem to think. Not at all, actually. They think you'd be a much better fit for the position than Raoshu."

Zunok sighed, rubbing his forehead, before meeting his Uncle's eyes, a serious expression on his pale face.

"And you think so, too?"

"Your cousin still has a lot of growing up to do."

"Please let us be realistic for a second here, Uncle. Even five years are plenty of time for him to grow up, let alone the thirty you'll actually continue sitting on that throne."

Zuko sat down next to the boy.

"Well, that means there's still plenty of time to think about all of this for you, too. You were my heir once, you know? Before Raoshu was born, you were the pretender for the throne."

"Yes, I know that. It's what logic dictates, Uncle. Each child you and Aunt Katara have pushes me down on place in the line of succesion. If there's only your children and me, and I am older than all of them, of course I was once first in line."

"As you say, all of this is in the far away future, Zunok. Why are you fighting against this, already?"

"I am a lot like my mother. Great Uncle Iroh likes to say so. And I know he means it in the most affectionate way, means that I am dedicated and ambitious, which aren't inherently bad traits, obviously. But I'm not a little boy anymore. I did go to school, Uncle, I know what Mother did while the war was still raging on. I do not wish to become like her", Zunok said, voice getting quieter with each and every word, and he stared down at his clasped hands again, his brow furrowed.

"You love your mother."

"I never said I didn't. My love for her doesn't change the things she did, though, things nothing can excuse. I do not wish to be in power of anything. Not now, not ever. I can't prevent you from naming me your successor, of course, but I can ask you not to do it. Think about it a little more, at least. Please."

"I will."


	4. A Different Solution

_[115 AG]_

"Oma and Shu weren't earthbenders before they stumbled upon the badgermoles", Sokka said slowly, a thoughtful expression on his angular face, and Katara raised an eyebrow when he started stroking his beard. "Or were they?"

"They weren't", Aang confirmed, equally amused and confused by his friend's random question, especially considering that they had talked Fire Nation politics not even half a minute ago. "At least that what legend tells us."

Zuko sighed.

"Where are you going with this, Sokka?"

"Humans weren't able to bend at one point in time, is what I'm saying. They had to learn it from other beings, badgermoles in this case, and it was possible for them to learn how to bend without any prior knowledge of it. Oma became scarily powerful; she ended a decade long war after Shu's death. And she was not a born earthbender."

"I mean, ... maybe she was."

Suki rested her chin in the palm of her left hand.

"Maybe she just didn't really know how to control her abilities, like any bender without a master."

"They wouldn't be the first human earthbenders, then", the young warrior said seriously, shaking his head. "You don't really think people had the abilities to throw rocks with their minds and conjure up flames and what not and didn't think about training that shit, do you? That'd just be stupid. If there'd been earthbenders before Oma and Shu, there would have been masters who weren't animals. Nobody would've been impressed by Oma's display of her powers."

"Your point being?", Zuko repeated.

"That once, people weren't benders, but they learned how to bend from the original masters."

"Sounds about right."

Toph scratched her nose

"So it could be possible - and bear with me here - to teach non-benders bending, still. I've been thinking about this for a whole while now. Since Aang started siring children left and right, to be exact."

The Avatar's big ears - he'd never quite grown into them - started glowing in a deep shade of red, along with his high cheeks.

"I'm not siring children left and right", he muttered.

"I dunno, Twinkles", Toph grinned. "I mean, the count's up to eleven, soon."

"You're one to talk. Not like numbers ten and eleven aren't a little your fault, too, huh?"

She rolled her her unseeing eyes when he pressed a wet kiss to her cheek.

"He's actually onto something, this time, I think."

Zuko frowned.

"Please, dear brother-in-law. I'm always onto something. By now, I believe you all get what I'm trying to say."

"You wanna teach some non-benders airbending."

"Well, not me personally, clearly, as I'm a non-bender myself, I just think it would be possible for Aang or the sky bisons to do that. Another theory I developed: A lion turtle could show Aang how to remove someone's bending. Or, more specifically, how to energybend. What if you can do it in the opposite direction, too? Maybe you can give someone bending, then. You'd still be the one restoring the Air Nomads, obviously, but it wouldn't require you to father a hundred more children with just as many women."

Sokka raised his brows, looking at Aang, who was still beet red.

"I ... didn't plan on that. Just however many more children the woman I'm - y'know - married to, now, wants to have. She'd kick my ass otherwise"

"Probably", Toph agreed.

"And you know that I won't ever energybend, again, Sokka. It could go wrong very easily - it nearly went wrong the one time I did it. And I have even less of a clue how to give someone bending - if that's even doable - than how to take someone's bending."

"Well, then there's still option number one: You try teaching some people, some of your acolytes, how to bend. I mean, I guess, eleven's not the worst number to re-start your nation, but just imagine how many more airbenders there could be in your lifetime, Aang. You'd just have to train them, like you do with your kids now, anyway. And in a few short years, the children will be able to instruct even more people, all over the world."

Sokka grinned at his friends excitedly and Aang sighed.

"That would be neat", he admitted. "But let's not get our hopes up so soon. We really don't know how much of those legends is made up and what's actually true, Sokka. And even if everything is true, ... it's been centuries since that happened. Maybe bending works completly differently, now. It developed, we developed."

"It's worth a try, is all I'm saying. If it doesn't work, you and Toph can still continue to make new airbenders, I don't care. It's just ... maybe a different solution. We could search for a lion turtle, maybe it'd be willing to teach a little more about energybending. And yes, I know, you just said you wouldn't do it again, but ... if you knew more? Or maybe we could find Wan Shi Tong's library again. We did it once, I'm sure, we could do it again. Assuming he didn't pull back into the spirit world, that is."

He rubbed his chin.

"I don't think I could have held that thing up if it'd been pulled into another dimension. It's probably just burried deeper than even the best earthbender could feel", Toph said, brows furrowed. "However cool it'd be to image that I could defy an interdimensional pull."

"Well, if somebody can do it, it's probably you."

"Probably."

"Humble as ever."

Aang smiled.

"We should at least try it ... You're right, Sokka. If somebody can do the impossible, it's us, don't you think?"

"Did it once or twice before."


	5. OC-Children: The Gaang and Ozai's Angels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This does get a little repetitive over time, I mostly just made this list for myself, to not mess anything up.

_**[Furoto:](https://www.deviantart.com/andereskarussell/art/A-tLA-Furoto-of-the-Air-Nomads-821408567)**_  Son of Avatar Aang and a Fire Nation noblewoman by the name of Taiyang. Conceived at the engagement party of Fire Lord Zuko and Master Katara in 104 AG, born in spring of 105 AG. Oldest of the Avatar's fourteen children. Has one brother on his mother's side: Zenzo, born in 117 AG. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father. Spends each summer since the age of five in the Fire Nation with his mother's family. Becomes an Airbending Master in 126 AG, after completing his training. Teaches at a Fire Nation private school after this.

 _ **[Zunok:](https://www.deviantart.com/andereskarussell/art/A-tLA-Prince-Zunok-821835364?ga_submit_new=10%3A1575039190)**_ Only son of Princess Azula. Father unknown. Born in summer of 107 AG. Firebending prodigy. Educated by his great-uncle Iroh, trained by his uncle Zuko and his mother. Raised in the Fire Nation Capital. Contender for the title of Fire Lord for a long time, though not the official heir. Eventually becomes Ambassador of the Fire Nation.

 _ **Raoshu** **:**_ Oldest son of Fire Lord Zuko and Master Katara. Born in winter of 109 AG at the South Pole. Educated by his great-uncle Iroh, trained in firebending by his father and instructed as a swordsman by his uncle Sokka. Raised largely at the Fire Nation Capital. First in the line of succesion. Takes over his great-uncle's tea shop in 129 AG.

 _ **Pema** **:**_ Daughter of Ty Lee and an Earth Kingdom citizen by the name of Gopan. Born in spring of 109 AG on Kyoshi Island. Non-bender. Chi-blocker. Trained as a Kyoshi Warrior. Raised on Kyoshi Island, largely by her mother, though spends time with her father's family every now and again. Half-sister of Jae. Eventually a guard for the Fire Nation royal family.

 _ **Shinrai** **:** _Son of Avatar Aang and a Fire Nation citizen by the name of Sakura. Conceived at the Southern Air Temple, during a Fertility Festival organized by the Heads of the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation in the autumn of 108 AG. Born in summer of 109 AG. Twin brother of Chansu, half-brother of the Avatar's other twelve children and step-brother of Rinchen (born in 115 AG) over his mother's husband. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father and mother. Gets declared an Airbending Master in 125 AG, at the age of sixteen, after managing to enter the Spirit World. Eventually becomes a Guru, as well as the next Avatar's spiritual mentor and airbending instructor.

 _ **Chansu** **:**_ Son of Avatar Aang and a Fire Nation citizen by the name of Sakura. Conceived at the Southern Air Temple, during a Fertility Festival organized by the Heads of the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation in the autumn of 108 AG. Born in summer of 109 AG. Twin brother of Shinrai, half-brother of the Avatar's other twelve children and step-brother of Rinchen (born in 115 AG) over his mother's husband. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father and mother. Becomes an Airbendening Master in 130 AG, after completing his training. A nomad and day laborer, living from hand to mouth.

 _ **Baransu:**_ Son of Avatar Aang and an Earth Kingdom citizen by the name of Chun Hua. Conceived at the Southern Air Temple, during a Fertility Festival organized by the Heads of the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation in the autumn of 108 AG. Born in summer of 109 AG. Half-brother of thirteen children on his father's side and two on his mother's: Kenai (born in 113 AG) and Koda (born in 115 AG), a non-bender and a water-bender respectively. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father and mother. Becomes an Airbending Master in 136 AG, after pausing his official training for six years to study the other nation's bending styles. Eventually a professor at Ba Sing Se university.

 _ **Ritan** **:**_ Son of Avatar Aang and a woman born and raised in the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom by the name of Ayaka. Conceived at the Southern Air Temple, during a Fertility Festival organized by the Heads of the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation in autumn of 108 AG. Born in the summer of 109 AG. Half-brother of the Avatar's other thirteen children. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father, mother and mother's partner, Hina. Becomes an Airbending Master in 130 AG, after completing his training. A nomad and musician.

 _ **Ai** **:**_ Daughter of Avatar Aang and a Water Tribe citizen by the name of Hina. Conceived at the Southern Air Temple, during a Fertility Festival organized by the Heads of the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation in the autumn of 108 AG. Born in summer 109 AG. First daughter of the Avatar. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by her father, mother and mother's partner, Ayaka. Gets declared an Airbending Master in 120 AG, after inventing a new technique, making her the youngest Master in Air Nomad History. Eventually takes over her father's position as spiritual leader of the Air Nomads.

 _ **Senpu** **:**_ Son of Avatar Aang and an Earth Kingdom noblewoman by the name of Meikin, who died in childbirth. Born in autumn of 110 AG. Half-brother of the Avatar's thirteen other children. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father and step-mother. Spends some time each year with his biological grandmother since 121 AG. Becomes an Airbending Master in 128 AG, completing his training three years early. Takes over Lao Bei Fong's business.

 _ **Jiyu** **:**_ Daughter of Avatar Aang and the descendant of an Air Nomad by the name of Kokoro, whose family kept alive a herd of flying bisons over the course of the war. Born in spring of 111 AG. Twin sister of Kibo, half-sister of the Avatar's other twelve children. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by her mother and father. Becomes an Airbending Master in 132 AG. An enlistee in the Fire Nation's army.

 _ **Kibo** **:** _Son of Avatar Aang and the descendant of an Air Nomad by the name of Kokoro, whose family kept alive a herd of flying bisons over the course of the war. Born in spring of 111 AG. Twin brother of Jiyu, half-sister of the Avatar's other twelve children. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his mother and father. Becomes an Airbending Master in 133 AG, after completing his training, a year late due to illness. An author and artist, documenting everyday life at the temples.

 _ **Natsuko** **:**_ Daughter of King Kuei and Fire Nation noblewoman Mai. Born in summer of 112 AG in Ba Sing Se. Non-bender. Trained in shuriken-jutsu by her mother. Raised largely in Ba Sing Se. First in the line of succession. Becomes Earth Queen in 140 AG.

 _ **Luanshi** **:**_ Son of Avatar Aang and Master Toph Bei Fong. Born in spring of 113 AG in the Fire Nation Capital. Half-brother of nine of his siblings, shares a mother with the remaining four. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father and mother. Becomes an Airbending Master in 134 AG, after completing his training. Eventually a pro-bender, much to his father's dislike and mother's excitement.

 _ **Yukiko** **:** _Only daughter of Fire Lord Zuko and Master Katara. Born in summer of 113 AG in the Fire Nation Capital. Educated by her great-uncle Iroh, trained in firebending by her father and instructed as a warrior by her aunt Suki. Raised largely at the Fire Nation Capital. Second in the line of succesion. Becomes Fire Lord in 157 AG.

 _ **Ilesh:**_ Son of King Kuei and Fire Nation noblewoman Mai. Born in autumn of 114 AG in Ba Sing Se. Trained in earthbending by Toph Bei Fong. Raised largely in Ba Sing Se. Second in line of succession. Eventually part of the reformed Dai Li.

 _ **Jae** **:** _Son of Ty Lee and Fire Nation citizen by the name of Takumi. Born in summer of 116 AG on Kyoshi Island. Non-bender. Acrobat and chi-blocker, trained by his mother. Raised largely on Kyoshi Island by his mother. Doesn't know his father. Eventually becomes a circus performer, like his mother formerly was.

 _ **Aanjing** **:**_ Daughter of Avatar Aang and Master Toph Bei Fong. Born in winter of 116 AG. Named after her father. Half-sister of nine of her siblings, shares a mother with the remaining four. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by her father and mother. Becomes an Airbending Master in 137 AG, after completing her training. Eventually Ambassador of the Air Nation.

 _ **Shuang** **:** _Only son of Chieftain Sokka and Suki. Born in summer of 117 AG at the South Pole. Waterbender. Trained by his step-great-grandfather Pakku as a toddler, later by his aunt Katara, instructed in swordsmanship by his father. Raised largely at the South Pole. Becomes Chieftain of the United Southern Water Tribes in 163 AG.

 _ **Ganko** **:**_ Son of Avatar Aang and Master Toph Bei Fong. Born in spring of 119 AG. Half-brother of nine of his siblings, shares a mother with the remaining four. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father and mother. Becomes an Airbending Master in 140 AG, after completing his training. One of Fire Lord Zuko's advisors until he marries Princess Yukiko in 149 AG.

 ** _Aki:_** Son of Avatar Aang and Master Toph Bei Fong. Born in winter of 120 AG in Gaoling. Half-brother of nine of his siblings, shares a mother with the remaining four. Twin of Iwa. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by his father and mother. Becomes an Airbending Master in 141 AG, after completing his training. Studies at Ba Sing Se University. Eventually becomes an architect.

 ** _Iwa:_** Daughter of Avatar Aang and Master Toph Bei Fong. Born in winter of 120 AG in Gaoling. Half-sister of nine of her siblings, shares a mother with the remaining four. Twin of Aki. Raised largely at the Southern Air Temple by her father and mother. Becomes an Air Bending Master in 141 AG, after completing her training. Eventually a circus performer. 

 

[Drawings of the kids [1]](https://www.deviantart.com/andereskarussell/art/A-tLA-NextGen-1-800257700)   
  
[Drawings of the kids [2]](https://www.deviantart.com/andereskarussell/art/A-tLA-NextGen-2-800911757?ga_submit_new=10%3A1560004993)

[Drawings of the kids [3]](https://www.deviantart.com/andereskarussell/art/A-tLA-NextGen-3-803557124)

[Drawings of the kids [4]](https://www.deviantart.com/andereskarussell/art/A-tLA-NextGen-4-803589021?ga_submit_new=10%3A1561753552)


	6. Legacy

_[163 AG]_

"What are you doing?"

Kibo lifted his head, brush still in hand, to see his oldest nephew trying to decipher his unruly scrawl, brows furrowed.

"Updating our family tree."

"I thought that Air Nomads didn't care much about stuff like that."

"They didn't, Anil, but I do. And I think future generations might, too. We don't know much about the emerge of the other nations. We don't know about the emerge of the original Air Nomads. But we know all about the Air Nation as it is now."

He dipped his brush in the ink pot.

"And I have been dedicated to putting as much about it on record as possible for the past fourty years, because we cannot risk any knowledge getting lost."

"You know", Anil said slowly, "sometimes, you remind me of that professor from Grampa's stories. The one who decided to go down with Wan Shi Tong's library."

"Would you be surprised to hear that you are not the first to make that comparison?"

"Not in the slightest. What does this say?"

"Avani."

The younger man shook his head, scratching his bearded cheek.

"That's not my sister's name."

"It is."

"Then what you've been doing your entire life is absolutely pointless, Uncle Kibo. When you pass away, nobody will be left able to read this. A life - waisted."

"This is just the draft I carry with me. There are others, written by Baransu, who has the neatest handwriting you can imagine, and is very much able to read whatever I write. He's practicing since we were kids."

"You always have this with you?"

"Of course. It's always the most up-to-date. It takes time to send a copy to Baransu, have him write up several more, get them back, make sure they're stored safely."

"You take this very seriously."

"This is my legacy."

"You've got three sons, Uncle."

"I do. But they are their own people, Anil. They're adults, they live their own lives. But this ... this will forever be mine, it's always kept my mind occupied when I was in need of a distraction."

"Is this the project Etsumaru said you got lost in after Auntie's death?"

"It is."

"What was there to find out after so many years of research and recording?"

"Dug deep into the Bei Fong family."

"Dug up some dirt?"

"Not much. Some illegitimate children, some mysterious disappearances. Nothing in the last few generations, though."

"Technically, Uncle Luanshi is an illegitimate child, isn't he?"

"Well, ... he was conceived before marriage, yes, and as far as I know, Lao Bei Fong wasn't very happy about that, but then again, Luanshi's also our father's son, so I don't think normal rules apply here, as he had nine kids before even thinking about getting a wife."

"He was restoring a nation."

"And having fun while doing so, I'm sure."

Anil grinned.

"So, what were you updating when I interrupted?"

"I added the heir to the throne nobody was expecting anymore. Little Iroh the Second, right there."

Kibo pointed to the name right under the circle that marked his little brother's marriage to Fire Lord Yukiko.

"I'm very glad it finally happened for them ..."

"He's a miracle alright. And finally the Fire Nation can stop fretting over who'll take over for Yukiko."

"Raoshu, if she dies before him. After him, it's Ummi, Ichirou, after them Zunok, then Zul, Bipin, Kolu and Rupa. Now, Iroh's before all of them, of course."

"I ... know that. I just mean, the citizens weren't happy with those prospects. Safe for Bip, maybe."

"I know."

"Sometimes, it's hard to talk to you."

"I've been told that all my life."

"Always interesting, though."

"That, as well."


	7. Visiting Kyoshi Island

_[105 AG]_

She'd never thought she'd ever even think those words, but she had missed flying.

Well, the freedom it implied.

When she'd first left home five years ago, it was on Appa's back, arms clinging tightly to the saddle, peaceful and calm for once.

There hadn't been any anger or sadness or desperation, just the feeling that what she'd done just now had been the right thing to do and not just for her. She'd felt understood for the first time in a long time.

Maybe for the first time in in her whole life.

"Landing now!", Aang called over his shoulder cheerily.

Momo chirped, disturbed in playing with his big ear.

"I can hear them cheering, Twinkles."

Her feet dangled over the edge of Appa's saddle, her head resting on a bag filled with her belongings, while Furoto slept on her chest peacefully, drooling, if the wet spot near her collar bone was anything to go by.

She stretched one arm, yawning, the other holding onto the baby Aang had asked her to mind while they were flying, because he tended to get distracted by the little guy - for obvious reasons - and while Appa was an intelligent bison, it was better to make sure they were actually headed in the right direction.

He was lucky he hadn't lied when calling his son frugal.

"No chance to make a surprise visit here, eh?"

"Appa's pretty hard to miss."

Below them, a handful of children were shouting his name happily, though most of the people here were used to his sight by now, which was why he liked to stay on Kyoshi Island.

The kids liked to climb Appa and chase Momo around and the Elders would ask for his opinion on a problem or two, but mostly, he was left to be himself here and he appreciated that a lot.

"Well, I've never seen him."

He chuckled quietly.

"Aang!", a deep voice called excited.

"Sokka!", Aang cried and jumped off Appa's head seconds before the bison touched down, envoloping his friend in a hug immediatly upon landing, laughing all the while. "I wasn't sure you'd still be here!"

"Leavin' tomorrow", the warrior grinned.

"Got lucky then, I guess. Where's Suki?"

"Training session with some new warriors. Spirits, it's so good to see you again, man! And look at you, you're taller than me, now! I swear, every time I see you, you've grown another five inches."

"You sound like Katara."

"Well, it's true! Do airbenders ever stop growing?"

"I mean, we've gotta be close to the sky, right? It's why Toph's so short, 'cause she's an earthbender. Gotta be close to her element."

"Hey! Dunderhead!"

Aang looked over his shoulder.

Toph waved a dirty food without sitting up.

"I'd like to come down now."

"Just a sec."

He turned back to Sokka, who's smile was broad enough to split his bearded face.

"Toph's with ya?"

"Sure is! And I've got someone I want you to meet, so don't move, alright?"

With that, he leaped up, bending the air under his feet as he did so with just a flick of his wrist, to land savely on Appa's saddle, right next to Toph's head, who was still laying on her back, with Furoto cuddled against her.

"You two are cute together."

"Be quiet, Twinkle Toes, and take your son."

He did as he was told, kissing the little boy's chubby cheeks.

"I missed ya, buddy."

He rubbed his nose against Furoto's.

"You miss me?"

"Why would he? I'm much better company than you'll ever be", Toph said and reached out a hand, wiggling her fingers. "Little help?"

He grabbed her hand, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and hauling her up effortlessly.

"Need help gettin' down, too?"

"Eh. Why not? Gimme the baby, though, you need to have at least one hand free, because I don't wanna die when you jump down from here."

"Just trust me, you big baby."

Aang wrapped his arm around her and stepped over the saddle's edge, making her yelp in surprise.

"Hiya, Toph", Sokka chuckled.

"Hello there, Snoozles", she groaned, before pushing Aang away and hitting him in the chest. "Do that again and I will end you, sissy Avatar."

"You've just lost every right to call me sissy, whimpy Earthbender."

"You-"

"Hey, whose baby is that?", Sokka interrupted, brows furrowed, and leaned down a little to get a better look at the baby, Momo shrieking somewhere behind them when a boy got a hold of his tail. "You guys got something to tell me?"

He eyed the two youngest members of Team Avatar suspiciously.

"Ew. As if I'd ever hook up with Twinkle Toes."

"You could do worse than me, you know."

"Oh, I know. Could do a lot better, too."

"Would you tell me whose child that is?"

"He's Aang's."

"Just Aang's?"

"I'm not allowed to talk about his mother to anyone", Aang said, shrugging. "It's a long story, but not really important now. Important is, he's my son and with me and the cutest little guy. Isn't that right, buddy?"

He pressed another kiss to Furoto's head and then beamed at his friends.

"Well, ... I certainly didn't expect that", Sokka chuckled, still looking a little confused.

"I don't think anyone did", Toph muttered.

"Always thought, Katara'd be the one of us having children first ... She's always been very motherly. Then again, she didn't have much of a choice about that ... Or maybe Ty Lee, 'cause she's quite promisucous if you believe the other warriors. Half the island winks at her when we take a walk together."

He scratched his ear.

"Not that that's a bad thing ..."

"Suki pound that into you?"

"Yeah, but she's right. And speaking of her, you wanna go show off the little guy to her? I'm sure she can take a short break from training for you."

"You sure?"

Sokka smirked.

"Pretty sure. She's traning the eight- to ten-year-olds and I see three or for of them running around here. They must've heard somebody shout Avatar and taken off to go see Appa. Just like this guy."

He pointed his thumbs at himself.

"What were you doing?"

"Watching the Terrible Two. But they ran right after me, so, y'know. They're over there, torturing poor Momo."

Then, raising his voice: "Hey! Little demons! Wanna hang out with the Avatar and his Earthbending Sifu?"

"Suki told you not to call us that anymore!", the boy holding Momo shouted back.

"We're gonna tell her!", the one pulling the screaching animal's ear cried.

"Please don't do that", Aang said, biting his lip. "He doesn't like it very much. I mean, ... you wouldn't, either, would you?"

The right twin let the lemur fall to the ground, who scrambled away in a hurry, and they ran over to their sister's boyfriend and her friends, bowing before Aang.

"Greetings, Avatar Aang."

"No need to pretend now", Sokka sighed. "He's already seen you do your worst. Now come on, let's go visit your sister. And don't go snitching to her."

He waved for them when he began his way towards the dojo, then pushed his hands into his pockets.

"You'll owe us", Saru said, lifting his brows, and Sokka snorted.

"You two already owe me for not ratting you out last week."

Sota pulled a face.

"He's right."

"What'd you do?", Aang asked curiously while wiggling his fingers in front of Furoto's bright amber eyes and the boy babbled quietly.

Saru glanced up at him.

"I don't think we should tell you. We dont have any dirt on you. Can't risk you telling our parents or Kiki."

"Don't tell him if you ever do have dirt on him, either", Toph advised, a serious expression on her pale face. "He's to much of a goody-two-shoes to not snitch anyways."

"Noted", Sota nodded.

"I'm not", Aang whined. "I like pulling pranks, too. I like it a lot, actually. Airbenders practically invetend pranks!"

"I don't think we're talking a 'cake-in-the-face' kinda prank."

"Oh no", the twins said, shaking their dark heads simultaneously.

"There's a reason I call them the Terrible Two, buddy", Sokka sighed and clapped him on the shoulder. "It may not be the most original nickname, but it most definitly is the most fitting. They're a nightmare to watch."

"We're almost ten!"

"Yeah! Nobody has to watch us!"

"If we don't want the village burned down, yes, somebody has to."

"They're pyromaniacs now, too?", Toph asked, lifting her brows.

"Well, they didn't light anything on fire, yet, and hopefully, it stays that way."

He pointedly looked down on the boys, who ignored him and started running when the dojo came into sight, shouting for their sister.

"Kiki!"

"Guess who came to visit!"

"It's the Avatar!"

"With his sifu!"

"And a baby!"

Aang looked after them.

"Wasn't sure if they'd noticed him."

"They notice just about everything, it's really annoying. Just think babies are the most boring thing in world, which, granted, they probably are for two nine-year-olds."

A woman took a step out of the training house and into the sun, still dressed in traditional Kyoshi Warrior garbs, face painted in white and red.

And a smile brightened her features.

"I heard. Lost half my class over the Avatar's bison."

"Appa's just irresistable", Aang grinned.

"Oh, he most definitly is. It's so good to see you! And you, too, Toph!"

"Can't really give that back."

Toph sighed melodramatically, unseeing eyes wide open, and let herself be hugged by Suki, even returning the embrace for just a second.

"But I missed you guys, too."

"And what's this about a baby I hear? Who's this little fella?"

She reached out a hand and stroked Furoto's silky black hair, let her thumb wander over his rosy cheek, all the while beeing watched by the baby curiously.

"It's Avatar Aang's, I think", Sota informed.

"He is. And before you ask, his mother's out of the picture. Name's Furoto."

"Well ... congratulations, then. He's a handsome little boy. Those two over there looked like somebody'd sat on them until they were about a year old."

"Did not!"

"Ah, yes, you did."


	8. Questions

_[178 AG]_

"Technically, you are my grandfather, you know?"

"I have met your grandfather, Iroh. Several times, in fact. He is a very wise old man. Makes great tea, too."

Tulok didn't open his eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, when Iroh stretched his legs and leaned back.

"I have two grandfathers, dunderhead."

"Oh. You're talking about Avatar Aang."

"Who else would I be talking about, Tulok? You're the Avatar, of course I don't think you're the re-incarnation of former Fire Lord Zuko."

The young Crown Prince sighed.

"Don't sound so annoyed. You know how far away I am while meditating. You made me curious, though. Where are you going with this?"

"You channelled one of the other Avatars once, right?"

Iroh rubbed his neck, unsure, and Tulok looked over to him out of the corner of his eye, unmoving.

They were sitting in Ursa's Garden, the sun setting somewhere behind them, colouring the sky in reds and oranges and yellow, no cloud in sight, and though they had planned on meditating, Prince Iroh obviously had other things in mind.

He patted a turtle duck's head.

"If you want to call it that, yes. Avatar Kuruk. I wouldn't really talk about channeling, though. It was more ... him taking over and me surrendering to him because I was in dire need of his help. As I was told, I literally became him, looked like him, spoke like him, was him."

"You couldn't do it deliberatly, then?"

Tulok frowned.

"I never really tried. I can connect to my past lives, of course, as I have mastered the Avatar State, but ... doing what happened back there? No, I don't know how to do that."

"Oh."

Iroh looked down, fingers now fiddeling with his robes.

"Okay, I guess."

"Why do you ask?"

"I just ... All of my cousins got to meet him. Grandfather, I mean. They can remember him a little ... or a lot. The oldest of them were born some thirty years before me, cousin Anil even had two children before I was born. I know that my parents married quite late in life ... and that they had a lot of trouble conceiving. I just wish I could've talked to him at least once."

"Well ..."

Tulok bit his lip.

"I could talk to him for you, I guess ... Ask him all the questions you have for him. It's not quite the same, I know that, but ... it would be something, wouldn't it?"

"It would be ..."

Iroh sighed again.

"So? What do you want to know?"


	9. Count Off

_[120 AG]_

"Stand still and count off!"

They didn't listen.

Of course they didn't, because they never did, because they had no respect for their Elders, those little demons, no respect at all.

He clenched his hands and inhaled deeply, closing his amber eyes for just a second.

Why, again, had he agreed to rounding up his siblings?

Because he didn't learn from past mistakes, that was why, because he was a big, dumb idiot.

"Stop scooting around so I can count you!"

"We're all present", Kibo said absentmindedly while entertaining little Aanjing, who hadn't quite figured out the trick for herself, yet, with two pebbles twirling faster and faster between his hands. "Except for Ganko, who's with Dad. The twins are with Auntie Toph. And Senpu's-"

"I'm here."

"Over there, obviously, so no worries."

"Yeah, calm down, will you?"

"I'm getting grey hair because of you."

"But you don't have any hair, To-To."

"Don't call me that."

"Mommy does."

"Yeah, well, but you don't get to, Luanshi. Also, give me that scroll."

He snatched the parchment from his little brother's dirty hands, taking the ink and brush, too.

"You can't draw on this. Where'd you even get this, huh?"

"Daddy's study."

"You know you're not supposed to take stuff from Dad's study, Shi. He's got important things up there, things you shouldn't touch or draw on, alright?"

"I couldn't find any other paper."

Luanshi pushed forward his bottom lip, pouting, and Baransu tousled his jet black hair, smiled down at him.

"Don't you worry about Furoto, buddy. He's just tense because the Royals are visiting and he's got the biggest crush on Miss Azula."

"I do not!"

"Yeah, you shouldn't. She's, like, a thousand years old", Shinrai said, zooming around his oldest brother on a scooter. "Also, super intimidating. I swear, a look into her eyes turns you into stone or something."

"You're insufferable. All of you", Furoto muttered, dragging a hand over his stubbly head.

He'd need to shave again, soon.

"Right back at ya", Chansu laughed, scooting by even closer, nearly knocking him off his feet in doing so.

"Could you stop this now? I swear to all the Gods above, you guys are the worst. I just need you to count off, for my peace of mind, and then go to your rooms and dress for the occasion, because it's not everyday the Fire Nation Royal family comes to visit."

"Please", Ai snorted. "It's just Auntie and Uncle, To-To."

"Yeah. You're friends with Mopey, can avoid Miss Deathly, and Prince Stuck-up and Princess High-strung should be no problem once they loosen up a little", Ritan added.

Jiyu shook her head.

"You should leave the nicknames to Aunt Toph. Those were terrible."

"Can you just go get dressed, please?"

"Fine."

The girl jumped off her airscooter with billowing robes and scooped up her baby sister.

"But you owe us."

"For what?"

"Doing what you want", Kibo said and stood, stretching his long arms over his head, sighing. "Come on, guys."


	10. Antaka

_[108 AG]_

"It may be none of my concern", Zuko said slowly, while Aang's young son watched the ever changing flame in his hand with fascination, "but shouldn't you be out there, mingling with all the beautiful women who came here just for you? Instead of sitting in a secret tunnel you probably only built to avoid just that, I mean."

The Avatar sighed, drawing the characters of his name into the dust.

"Well, it's not like I've been hiding here for the last three days", he mumbled without looking up. "I'm just taking a break, spending some time with my friends and son as long as I can. You're only gonna be here for a few more days and I barely got to see you until now."

He pulled his ear.

"Also, I already came to an agreement with two women."

Katara raised her brows in surprise.

"You did?"

"I did, yes. Their names are Chun Hua and Sakura. Citizens of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation respectively. I didn't get to know them very well, yet, of course, but ... I liked them well enough, I guess. They're not here because they feel guilty for the actions of their forefathers or because their parents forced them to come or because they already worship the ground I'm walking on without even knowing me. I don't like people like that."

"I don't understand why you're so picky now. You barely knew the name of Furoto's mother when you slept with her, right?", Sokka asked.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, next to his sister, and polished his boomerang with great concentration.

"That was different. I was sad that night", Aang said, "and angry ... and very, very drunk. And she was pretty and promised me distraction. Nothing about that was planned and I'm still ashamed of how I acted back then. I used her. I'm not going to use anyone like that ever again. I'll get to know these women. I'll make sure this is what they truly want to do. This isn't something to be taken lightly."

"I know it's not", the young warrior retorted. "I'm just saying, eventually, you'll find a fault in everyone, Aang."

"I'm not searching for any faults. Just trying to make sure nobody's gonna end up unhappy this time. I get that I need to do this. I did even before my past lives talked me into actually doing it. But nobody else has any obligation to participate in this."

"How very noble you are, O Allmighty Avatar", Toph drawled from where she was lying on her back, palms pressed firmly to the ground, unseeing eyes closed. "I don't think the world would care in a hundred years how their new airbenders came to be, though."

"Well, I would care."

"I know you would. You always care. Sometimes, way too much. Which is why you make a good Avatar, but probably wouldn't have made a very good monk."

"Maybe not. Never really wanted to be a monk, anyway, not even as little boy. I mean, ... I loved the temples and I loved the monks. I loved my life. But I always wanted a family like Kuzon's or Bumi's when I grew up."

"Bumi had a family?", Suki asked.

"Sure did. His dad was a little nutty, much like him, but his mother was the sweetest woman. His brothers admired him and he adored them. He's actually related to Teo, y'know?"

"He is? How do we not know this?"

Aang smiled a little.

"Because he's just a crazy king for you guys, but he's my friend. He had two brothers, Ravi and Ali. Ali died rather young, as far as I know, he was a soldier, but Ravi went on to marry and have a kid. Hari, Teo's father. Bumi's actually been considering Teo as his heir for quite some time now. He doesn't have any other close relatives."

"He's considering?"

Sokka looked up from his weapon.

"The man is hundred-and-twenty years old; he should be sure by now."

"Kyoshi was twice his age when she died", Suki informed him.

"Kyoshi was the Avatar. She made an island. I'm pretty sure Kyoshi didn't fear Antaka, Antaka feared Kyoshi after that shit."

"Antaka?"

"Would be Kala in the Fire Nation, I think. Mrtyu in the Earth Kingdom. He's the God of Death."

"Yama", Aang said quietly. "I was very scared of him as a child. Not so much of ... dying myself, but of ... losing the people I loved to him. I hated him for having the ability to do that."

"Who didn't, at some point?", Katara sighed.

"That's one of the reasons why I can't just ... accept any woman throwing herself at me, though I'm they're all lovely in their own way. I spent a hundred years in an iceberg, in the Avatar State, which is usually really draining, that can't be healthy, so who knows how long I've got left. I want to be sure my kids are safe and loved and cared for, even after I die."

Toph sat up and pulled Furoto into her lap, who squealed in delight and immediatly made a grab for her hair, that she wore down today, because her mother had wanted her to.

"We'd all go out of our way to make this little guy happy; you know that."

She pressed a kiss to the boy's chubby cheek.

"I do, but what if in like ... ten years, I've got ten kids. One for each year. And then, I die. What do I do then, leave each of you two of them? I ... need ... to make sure this is the right thing for everyone involved. Spares us all a lot of heartache later on."

"Tell us about Sakura and Chun Hua, then. We're good judges of character, most of the time", Suki said.

"Yeah, we trusted Zuko and that turned out great", Sokka added.

"Toph was the only one who was willing to trust me at first."

"And then, you burned my feet."

"Are you ever gonna let that down?"

"You took my sight, Fire Princess."

"That's Fire Lady for you, Miss Bei Fong."

"Oh, I'm sorry, most honored Fire Lady. My most humble apologies."

"We're getting off topic. Aang's future baby mamas."

"Don't call them that, please", Aang requested.

"The future Mothers of the Air Nation, then."

Suki leaned against her betrothed, blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"What did you like about them?"

Aang pulled a thougtful face.

"Chun Hua made me laugh ... On the first day of the festival, she made me laugh. I was ... rather ... unhappy that day ... Tense ... A little angry. And she made me laugh. Don't even know what she said. She reminded me a lot of a girl I knew when I was a little boy. When we went to the Eastern Air Temple to choose a flying bison ... or get chosen by one, I guess, she watched us when the monks had other things to attend to. I can't remember her name anymore, though, which makes me a little sad ..."

Furoto crawled from Toph's lap into his father's, cuddling against him.

"Chun Hua is a nice name", he said.

"It sure is, buddy. And Sakura is, as well. She's a very smart lady. Probably smarter than even Uncle Sokka."

"Not that hard", the boy grinned.

Sokka shook his head.

"You've been spending too much time around Auntie Toph again, my dear boy", he said, pinching his cheeks and tickling his tummy, making him laugh and squirm a little in Aang's hold.

"Stop it", he giggled.

"Only if you take it back!", Sokka said and grabbed him, threw him into the air without any effort and held him before his face when he caught him.

Furoto kissed the tip of his nose.


	11. Panda Lily

_[136 AG]_

"Spirits, I hate you", Shuang groaned and pulled himself up a little higher, stepping onto a ledge to not slip the mountain back down. "Tell me why we're doing this again?"

"For Hana."

"Hana, who you've known for about ten minutes? That Hana?"

"Yes. I need a panda lily for her. She'll love it; the girl we met loved it."

"Yeah. Because she got it from someone she already loved, dunderhead. Hana barely knows you exists, you just stared at her from across the room twice. That's just creepy. She probably thinks you're a damn creep."

Aki looked over his shoulder.

"You're here as emotional support. If you can't be supportive, just be quiet. Or go back to the inn."

They were climbing the volcano near Makapu Village for a damned panda lily Aki wanted to give to the latest love of his life, the daughter of the Fortuneteller, and though this wasn't the craziest stunt he'd ever pulled in the name of love - going by Aanjing's letters, anyway -, it still was one of the most unnecessary things Shuang had ever partaken in.

Hana would only reject Aki and crush him for about a day and a half, until another pretty girl crossed his path and he fell again, because that boy changed love interests more often than his undergarments.

"Well, somebody has to be the voice of reason here. I know Iwa usually is, but obviously, even she has enough of your stupid endeavors. Your own twin, Aki. Shouldn't that tell you something?"

"Not really", the younger boy replied. "She does this all the time, then I convince one of the others to come with me."

"That, too, should tell you something. You are aware that not every girl you meet can be your forever girl, right?"

"This one might be. You're way too pessimistic, Shuang. Honestly. Have you never loved?"

Sweat trickled down Shuang's neck while Aki jumped up the volcano like he'd never done anything more fun, probably carried by the wings of love or some shit like that.

He could just imagine him saying that.

"Not like you, my friend. You always fall hard and fast and then it's over again. I don't tick like that. Would I climb up here for the girl I love? Probably. But not for someone I just met and neither should you."

"Romance is not dead, Shuang."

"If this is romance, it should be. God, it's so fucking hot up here."

He pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around his head, groaning when his foot slipped, rubbing his face.

"It's not that hot", Aki said.

"I grew up at the South Pole."

"Nobody forced you to come with me, you know?"

"Aanjing did. She said to make sure you didn't fall into the damn volcano."

Shuang blinked up into the summer sun.

"Not my fault she's got you whipped", Aki muttered and stretched his skinny arms over the head, inhaling, when he reached the edge of the mountain. "I mean, seriously, man. You guys are not even a thing."

"She's my best friend, though."

Shuang pulled himself up the last few metres and collapsed right next to some panda lilies, eyes closed.

"I'm exhausted." 

 

* * *

 

"So, ... is your mom really a fortuneteller?", Ganko asked through a mouthful of cookies. "Like, ... really?"

Hana smiled at him and shrugged, her dark eyes twinkling with mirth, while Aanjing stared at the brush stuck in the girl's hair in disbelieve.

"Well, ... I think so. And the villagers do. She says she is and Aunt Wu did, too."

"Aunt Wu", Iwa repeated. "Uncle Sokka told us about her, I think. He thought, she was a fraud. Without Dad and Aunt Katara, the village would've been destroyed."

"Well, she only said the village wouldn't be destroyed and it wasn't. So, technically, she was right", Hana replied.

"You were told that story, too, huh?"

"Course I was. The Avatar'd visited the village, they're probably always gonna talk about that. He's the Avatar, after all. Ouch."

She lifted her hand and pressed it to the back of her head, where Aanjing had ripped out the brush and fallen back onto the bed.

"Sorry. Your hair is just ... so bushy, it's impossible to tame."

"Yeah. Tell me about it", Hana snorted, amused. "I told you before you started."

"It was worth a try."

"How much hair have I lost?"

"Not that much", Ganko said and put his more or less empty plate down on the mattress. "Aki's still gonna find you pretty."

"Aki?"

Hana furrowed her brows, ignoring - or forgetting - that he was blind and really couldn't tell how much hair she was missing.

"Yeah. He's crushing on you, like, super hard. But don't worry, he's gonna have forgotten all about it in a week, tops. That's how his mind works. He and Shuang are climbing that volcano to get you a panda lily."

"I think Dad did that once."

"For Aunt Katara, yeah."

"He didn't know Mom back then, so I think it's okay."

Iwa laughed.

"We have nine half-siblings, Ganko, if Dad having an old flame would bother her, we wouldn't exist." 

 

* * *

 

"I hope you know that you're obligated to climb a mountain with me now, too, if I ever fall in love", Shuang said.

"Weirdly specific, but okay."

Aki jumped down a ledge, panda lily in hand, and looked up to where his friend stood, still trying to figure out how to get down.

"So, ... just climb a mountain? Or something you'd normally deem stupid in general?"

"The latter."

Shuang kneeled and swung his feet over the edge of the rock, landed next to Aki with a grimace on his face.

"Ouch."

He grabbed the hand the Avatar's youngest son offered him, let himself be pulled up.

"I'm fine with that. Can't help you, though, if it conflicts with other loyalties I have. Like ... Aanjing's off limits. If it's Jae you wanna impress, though ... I think you'd make a cute couple", Aki mused.

"First, Aanjing and I are just friends. We always will be. And forget about Jae. I'm not into dudes."

"There'd be no shame in that, my friend."

"For an airbender there's not."

Shuang shook his head, picking up a pebble.

He threw it up into the air and when he caught it, continued: "But I'm the future Chief of the South, man. I mean, ... I don't think my parents would've anything against it, but half of the Water Tribe population would flip. Even if I were gay, those guys aren't ready for a gay Chief."

"Would you let that stop you?"

Aki held out his staff for Shuang to grab and get down easier.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I don't think I would. I ... don't. I'm planning to pitch some ideas I've got to my Dad after this trip. Show him I care about the tribe and that I take my responsibility seriously."

"You won't take over for another twenty years."

"I know. But it wouldn't be smart to start preparing in nineteen when I know now what's gonna come. I wanna be ready. I wanna be able to be a good leader-"

"I'mma be an architect."

"Heard about that from Aanjing. Why's that?"

"I dunno. I always was fascinated by what could be done with earth. When I was little, I wished to be an earthbender, like Mom, be able to build stuff as ... incredible as the Air Temples. And she told me to draw in the dust whatever I wanted to have build and she would build it for me. She did. So, I guess I always kinda wanted to be an architect. Always kinda was."

He grinned and looked over the village that lay before them, smelled the lily.

"Beautiful day, man."

"Always is, in your world."


	12. Thumping

_[112 AG]_

  
It was odd, this silence between them.

His hand was pressed to the ground and if he'd concentrate on anything but her, he'd feel his children's feet pound through the temple, would know where their mothers stood and all the acolytes were, but there was only her and her heartbeat and the second quiet thumping within her.

A rhythm so familar and so very new at the same time.

He cleared his throat.

She turned her head a little as if to hear him better.

"Were you going to tell me?"

His voice sounded far too unsure for his own liking.

"Of course I was."

And hers had never been so quiet.

"When? You're leaving in a few hours."

"Before leaving, obiously. I just ... wanted to see if you'd pick up on it before that. I promise, Aang, I would never keep something this big from you. You should know that."

He nodded.

Because he did.

The second heartbeat he had felt when she'd approached him during meditation had just taken him by surprise.

He inhaled.

"How do you feel?"

They hadn't exactly discussed this.

Then again, there wasn't really much to discuss, he thought.

He'd already had seven children when they had started getting closer and nine soon after that, and she probably would've never stayed had the temple had Meikin not died, leaving Aang in an apathetic state for weeks and his newborn son essentially without a caregiver.

The acolytes and the other kids' mothers would've looked after him for sure, but he was still glad Toph had dropped by when she had.

For who knew how things would've turned out otherwise.

He liked very much how they were now.

"You know I'm not much about feelings, Twinkles."

"Toph."

She sighed.

"How am I supposed to feel, Aang?"

"Well, ... I don't know. I guess, I hope you're happy about it, but if you're not, ... we can talk about everything. Scared, sad, angry, nervous. Whatever you feel, I'm here and I'm listening."

"I guess I am scared .... A little ... I've never been pregnant before. Never given birth, either ... And then there's the fact that I'm blind, so the baby could be, too, and he's most likely gonna be an airbender and I can't teach an airbender how to see and that ... that scares me ... "

He pulled her into his lap, too long arms wrapped around her body, and pressed a kiss to her hair, and she cuddled into his chest without any protest about being grabbed with no warning.

"They're gonna be our kid, they'll find a way around everything. Also, they're gonna have a bunch of older siblings who'll probably happily help them find a way to see. They're gonna be great, don't you think? Brilliant."

"All your kids are."

"I'm talking about this child now, though", he whispered near her ear, then sighed. "I almost don't wanna let you go later."

"And I almost don't wanna leave, but it's not like I'll be gone forever. Three weeks, tops."

"I could come with you."

She kissed his chin.

"No. You stay here, it's fine. Otherwise, we'd have to take Senpu and then everybody'll wanna come and that would just prolong this trip more than necessary. I'll hurry."

"You do that."


	13. Glimpses

_[121 AG]_

The bedroom was flooded by early morning light when Aang tiptoed back inside.

His wife still snored quietly, face pressed into a pillow, and next to her on the bed, where he had left them tucked in safely, lay his youngest children, the boys both sleeping peacefully like their mother, the girl staring up at her father with wide green eyes, reaching out one pudgy hand for him.

He grinned.

"Hey there, little badgermole. How are we this fine morning?"

He lifted her gently and let her cuddle against his chest before touching his wife's shoulder.

She mumbled something incoherent.

"We're heading out now", he whispered. "Luanshi was still asleep when I checked on him, but as I know him, he'll be awake in half an hour, so you should probably get ready for him. Senpu's already running around with Baransu. I'm taking the girls."

"Mmh."

She turned her head in his general direction and rubbed her face, yawning.

"Have fun. Don't do anything I would do."

"Never", he laughed and bent down to kiss her temple. "See you tonight."

"See you never. Love you, though."

"I love you, too."

 

* * *

 

"Mother?"

He blinked into the darkness.

Her bedchambers were always shrouded in darkness, no matter how early or late, no matter if occupied or not, and he was used to that, just as he was used to her being quiet, because on some days, she didn't feel up to facing the world.

At least that was what Uncle had told him when he was a child.

He wasn't used, howerever, to her not responding at all when he called for her.

His gaze searched the room with what little light fell into it from the hallway, hold tightening on the tray he had brought, flickered over a desk and neatly stacked papers, ink and brush placed next to it, over a high bookcase and finally fell on the bed, scarlet red and gold and black.

"Mother, I've made you some tea."

A grunt.

"It's your favourite, too."

He shuffled out of the doorway, cleared his throat.

"Put it on the bedside table and leave", she requested and her voice sounded hoarse. "I wish to be left alone, Zunok."

"Well, I don't want to leave you alone", he replied carefully.

He put the tray down, then clenched his fists at his sides.

"Do as you are told."

But instead, he lifted the corner of her blanket and crawled under it, too, hiding with her, and he could feel her warm breath on his face.

"Sometimes, I ask myself what I did wrong when raising you."

"You let me spend to much time with Uncle."

A quiet chuckle.

"May I stay for a little?"

An arm sneaked around him in answer.

 

* * *

 

Sokka was drenched from head to toe in ice cold water and though he felt like he was freezing to death, he couldn't be prouder.

His young son stared at his mittened hands in surprise.

Forgotten was the fact that he had he had been angry with him just a second ago for not wanting to take him to council meeting.

"I'm sorry, Daddy!"

"What for, boy?"

The Chief laughed and picked little Shuang up, pestering his chubby face with kisses.

"Just wait until we write Auntie Katara about your being a bender! She will be so excited! Granpakku will be, too. And I am! Look at you, a waterbender!"

"I didn't mean it", Shuang continued, tanned face now worried, and Sokka pressed another kiss to his forehead.

"I know you didn't, buddy. I'm not mad. You can't imagine how many times your aunt left me soaking wet and shivering when we were children. This isn't so bad. Now, let's get inside. I need to change out of these clothes and you need to share your big news with mommy."

He turned around and marched back to the house, a smile edged into his bearded face.

He had drafted the plans for his family's home himself, ages ago, it felt like now, years before him and Suki were even seriously considering marriage, because - even when she was still the Captain of the Kyoshi Warriors and he was the Chief's son with strange new ideas - he had always known they'd live together sooner or later.

Didn't matter when or where, the house could've been build everywhere with just a few tweaks and changes.

As long as they were together, he didn't care.

He pushed open the door and ran into the kitchen, a large, bright area, nearly big enough to hold Aang's family if nobody else came to visit, where his father and grandmother were sipping tea and listening to Suki reading a letter sent by Zuko and Katara.

"Guess who's a waterbender!", he cried happily.

"You always were a late bloomer", Gran Gran muttered into her cup.

Suki snorted amused.

Hakoda looked at son and grandson with raised brows.

"Katara showed signs of being a bender much sooner ..."

"Well, what do you think happened? I just jumped into some ice water? I swear by Tui, he's a waterbender, Dad!"

"Those things develop at their own pace", Kanna said, nodding, and smiled at her great-grandson, who grinned back shyly.

Suki stood and took Shuang from his father's arms, held him close.

"Well, my little bender. Granpakku will be happy about having someone to teach again, I'm sure."

 

* * *

 

It was a sunny day and surprisingly warm for this late in autumn and Furoto and Kibo observed their siblings and friends scramble around the sparring area, finding places to sit and watch, quietly whispering, loudly laughing.

Wooden posts had been rammed into the earth to mark a ring, connected loosely by a rope, and one of the boys had dragged a stool over for Ritan to stand on.

Furoto rubbed his temples.

Kibo, who stood next to him, a book pressed to his chest, asked: "Shouldn't we get someone?"

"Let's see where exactly this is going first", Furoto muttered.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!", Ritan cried, grinning, and his brothers and the acolyte's kids cheered. "Welcome to the very first Tornado Tournament! My name's Ritan and I will be your host this fine afternoon! The rules are simple! First, you have to be an airbender to participate! Second, no physical contact, only bending is allowed! You touch your opponent, you're disqualified! And that's it!"

He jumped from one foot to the other in excitement.

"Most of them got bending just a few months ago", Kibo said.

"It's not our responsibility to prevent them from killing each other", Furoto replied.

"First up, in the right corner", Ritan continued, "he's as light on his feet as a lemur and jumps as high as a rabaroo, let's hear it for one of my nine favourite brothers, Theeee No-maaaad!"

Chansu jumped from the crowd of kids into the ring and made a round on a scooter under a lot of clapping and cheering, before landing in his corner and throwing up his arms into the air.

"And in the left corner, weighing about half as much as his opponent, but as determined and resilient as a badgermole, another of my brothers! The! Fancy! Danceeer!"

Furoto shook his head when Luanshi hopped onto one of the posts and then into the ring with a weird sideways flip.

"Should we get someone, now?"

"Dad's not here. And the aunts would just cheer them on."

 

* * *

 

Aang sighed in content.

Iwa was napping on his chest and Aanjing was giggling quietly, much to the amusement of the woman who was rubbing her feet, while Ai hummed a happy melody and Jiyu read from a book her twin had given her just a few days ago.

"We should do girls' days more often", he mumbled.

"You're not a girl, Daddy", Aanjing laughed.

He reached for her blindly and tickled her side, making her squirm in her seat a little.

"How do you know, huh?"

"Just do", she grinned.

He liked these days out with just a few of his kids, because while he loved having them all around, there just wasn't time to concentrate on anything but keeping them from wreaking havoc when he actually was alone with all of them.

Ai had demanded a day at the spa that had newly opened at the foot of their mountain and Jiyu had wanted in to get away from that madness that was their home for a while, and Aanjing wanted to come, because lately she wouldn't leave Jiyu's side, so he'd just grabbed baby Iwa and declared it girls' day.

"This is nice."

 

* * *

 

"When will you teach me anything useful?!", the girl shouted angrily. "It's always breathing and staring into flames and sitting still! You can breath fire! I wanna breath fire!"

She stomped her feet, little hands balled into fists, and stared up to him with fire in her eyes.

"You show Raoshu and Zunok all the cool stuff!"

Zuko sighed and looked up to the ceiling of the training hall his daughter and him occupied alone today.

"I cannot show you any advanced techniques until you've got the basics down, Yuki. I know how frustrating it can be to have to wait, trust me. Grandpa Iroh had me start from scratch when I was banished and I was not happy about that. But he was right. He knew what he was doing when training me."

Evening light fell through the high windows and coloured everything golden and the Princess was still pouting.

"Today, how about we try heating up some water, yes? So you can surprise your grandfather with a cup of tea you made yourself when he comes to visit next month."

She shuffled her feet.

"It's better than just breathing, I guess", she muttered.

"Very well, then. Pour us some water."

 

* * *

 

Senpu's room was, much like his siblings', not that big, but stuffed with souvenirs and trinkets from all over the world.

Gifts from his aunts, uncles and grandparents and small presents Aang would bring for the kids from his trips were put proudly on display and oddly shaped rocks and drift wood he had collected over the years had been placed on all the remaining surfaces.

The nightstand was piled with books, on top of them his glasses, and on the wall over his bed he had pinned a drawing of his birth mother Grandma Fei Ming had given him when they first met.

"Is Minato gonna be okay?", the boy asked quietly.

"He is", Toph answered. "Don't worry."

"I didn't mean to really hurt him. It was an accident."

"I know."

She brushed the dark brown hair out of his eyes, twirled a lock around her finger.

"Just be more careful when you hold the next Tornado Tournament, will you?"

He smiled a little and rolled over.

"Promise."

"Alright. There anything else you worry about?"

Senpu shook his head and mumbled a quiet "No" into his pillow and she bent down and kissed his cheek.

"Sleep well, then. I love you."

"Love you, too, Mommy."

She gave him another kiss and then stood, but stopped in the door for a moment before actually stepping out.

"Who won, by the way?"

"The Fancy Dancer", he yawned.

 

* * *

 

It was rather late when Aang sneaked back into his bedroom, now filled with darkness and quiet breathing, and hurried to shrug of his robes and climb into bed with his wife.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

She turned in his embrace.

"How was your day?"

"Relaxing. Yours?"

"The usual."


	14. Nights

_[112 AG]_

There were still nights he woke up shaking.

A boy left by his father in the icy tundra, devastated, with a little sister for a mother and his grandmother to brush away the tears.

A child jealous of his sister's powers, sceptical about them, angry at them, angry with her, because the Last Waterbender of the South was who the Fire Nation had come for all those years ago and his mother was who they had taken.

Angry with himself because he thought such terrible things, because he loved his sister, he loved her so very much it hurt just to think about losing her, but he had loved his mother as well.

A young man chasing after a vision, falling to pieces, in his arms first her body and then nothing, afraid to kiss his love under the moon.

He woke up shaking when they visited his dreams, his mother, the girl he had once loved and always would love, somehow, the people they had saved and the people they couldn't save and the people who's doom they had been when fighting in a war they had been much too young for.

He'd wrap his arms around the most important person in his life when they shared a bed in those nights and stare into the darkness with burning eyes when they didn't, aching for her, until sunlight streamed through the windows again.

 

* * *

 

There were still nights she woke up crying.

The face of a coward dancing before her eyes, soaked in water that could have killed him, and the voice of her mother ringing in her ears, soothing and terrible, because she wasn't sure if, didn't think she remembered it's sound right.

A boy crumbling to the ground, a prince convulsing, struck by lightning, with matching scars.

The feeling of horrifying control over another person's body, jerky movements and determination, the cackling of an old witch and the wish to be a little girl again, safe in her mother's arms, being lulled to sleep by her father's voice and brother's quiet snoring.

And she was crying, because there wasn't anything she could do to chase away the horrors of her past, because it was dark and she was alone until strong arms sneaked around her and pulled her close and she sobbed into a warm shoulder.

And his voice was rough and gentle and quiet.

And he understood.

 

* * *

 

There were still nights he woke up sweating.

Lucky to be born and branded by his father for speaking up, a lost boy consumed by red-hot anger and the desire to proof himself, impatient and willing to do anything to restore what was lost.

Exploding at the only person standing by him, burning down what stood in his way, trying to capture an old man who turned out to be nothing but a little boy.

He'd stolen from people who'd trusted him and turned on the man he admired the most and betrayed the girl offering him her trust despite everything that had transpired between them.

His sister's screams after their final battle, the sobbing and yanking on chains while electricity surged through him painfully, tears clouding his sight, because it felt like he was dying and because she was still the girl unable to pronounce his name, an infant gazing up at him with serious amber eyes, his very first memory.

When he woke up, sweating, exhausted and ashamed of himself, he wasn't sure if he deserved the woman curled into his side, but he was glad she was. 

 

 

* * *

 

There were still nights she woke up with a racing heart.

A little girl dangling form an airship, holding onto a sweaty hand, slipping, helpless, entirely depending on the man, the boy trying to pull her up, and she was certain she would die.

A child that had never learned to swim, trying to breath and gulping down water, and this time, no brave warrior girl jumped in after her, pulled her up, and so she sunk, sunk like a stone to the ground of the serpent infested waters.

Blind.

Completly and utterly blind like she hadn't been since she met the badgermoles.

There was only crippling fear and helpless kicking and the knowledge that she was useless without her element, defenseless high up in the air and her heart didn't stop racing until the man who felt nowhere as safe as where she was most frightened whispered her name and nothing but that, then kissed her temple and exhaled quietly.

And his warm breath tickled her cheek and pulled her back into reality and she held onto him and he mumbled her name again and she was safe.

 

* * *

 

There were still nights he woke up screaming.

When he stumbled upon the mortal remains of his beloved mentor and power surged through his body that scared him.

When he realised the weight of the world he had tried to shrug of when running away had only gotten heavier in his time away and that there was no one familiar, not one of his friends, there were just this girl and that boy and so he clung to them like the frightened child he was.

When he merged with the Ocean Spirit and took down an army and when he realized just how many people must have drowned in their heavy armour.

When his friends demanded he kill the Fire Lord.

Calloused hands found his face within seconds of waking up since she slept next to him and he leaned into her touch, breathing, eyes closed.

 

* * *

 

There were still nights she woke up trembling.

Fighting the deadly Fire Princess and her comrades, one spewing fire, one wielding knives, one barely touching you before your body failed.

Leaving home for who knew how long, inspired by a light-hearted monk, a caring waterbender and a stubborn young warrior, to help end a war they had lived untouched of, knowing it raged on, safe on their island.

Taken by foreign soldiers and separated from her friends, dragged of to a maximum security prison surrounded by boiling water.

She'd given up hope to ever see home again when he showed up.

She missed his presence, in those nights, missed his quiet jokes and his embrace and his familiar scent, but when he was there, falling asleep again was as easy as breathing in.


	15. Settling Tensions

_[104 AG]_

Sokka did not look happy.

He had been quiet since Katara found them in Aang's room, getting ready for the festivities starting in an hour, and ushered them into Zuko's study with a serious expression on her face.

She refused to answer any of their questions before rushing of to go help Zuko find Toph and Suki, and so Aang had asked Sokka if he knew what was going on, but the older man had just shaken his head and mumbled: "Hopefully not what I think."

Aang fiddled with his necklace.

"What do you think?"

"Let's just wait for them to come back."

It was weird, having Sokka not cracking jokes.

Even weirder when a feast was just around the corner and he had talked about nothing else for the past two days, just a little too excited about all the different dishes he'd be able to taste that evening.

Zuko entered with Toph a moment later, who didn't look like herself at all in the dress she would be wearing the entire night, but it seemed she had least talked her mother out of applying any make up.

"So, what's this about?"

"Dunno."

Aang shrugged.

"We should wait for Katara and Suki", Zuko said softly and moved behind his desk, fell heavily into the chair. "We have something rather important to ... share with you."

"Your heart's still beating a mile a minute, Sparky."

"Yes, ... well. I guess you could say I am nervous."

"You're really going through with this?", Sokka asked.

He didn't look up from his feet.

"I ... We think it's best. Can we not discuss this without Katara present? I feel like it's not my place to talk about this alone. And I know how you feel about all this, Sokka, but ... we have made a decision. You must accept that."

"I must tolerize that."

Aang's gaze flickered from friend to friend, confused, and Toph frowned.

"Okay, what is going on? What's with the hostility, Snoozles?"

"You'll see."

"I won't."

"I'm not in the mood, Toph."

"Fine."

She made a step into the room just before the door swung open again, this time to reveal the missing two members of their little group.

Suki stood next to Sokka in a heartbeat, whispering something in his ear Toph could probably hear, but Aang's hearing wasn't as sharp as hers, and the man shook his head.

She kissed his cheek.

"So?"

Toph raised her brows.

"There is no point in beating around the bush, so I will just said it."

Zuko inhaled.

"We will be getting married."

"Did not see that one coming", Toph muttered.

"Who's we?", Aang asked in a small voice.

"Us. Zuko and me", Katara replied.

The room suddenly felt much smaller than it was and his heart stuttered in his chest, not quite able - or willing - to understand what she was saying.

"But ... I ... you ... You guys aren't even a couple! You're just friends, aren't you?"

"We're hoping our marriage will help settle some tensions", Zuko continued and stood up, fingernails scratching over the back of his hand. "There has never been a Fire Lady from another nation. Me marrying someone who isn't Fire Nation will hopefully further proof that we are changing. We have talked about this a lot over the past year, it's not a decision to be taken lightly, we know that."

"Why Katara?"

"Because it couldn't just be anybody. People trust Katara. She was your teacher, she's an ecxeptional healer and an incredible bender. Her people held her in high regard before she broke you out of that iceberg and they do even more so, now. I could've asked Toph and one of Kuei's sisters offered herself, but Toph would've burried me alive and marrying the Earth King's sister wouldn't have the same impact as marrying Katara will have."

Sokka balled his hands into fists.

"I'm not happy with this."

"We know you're not."

"But ... but ... you can't do this!", Aang spluttered. "It's ... wrong. It's wrong! You don't love eachother!"

"We love eachother enough to make this work. We're friends, very good friends, that's more than you can say about most Fire Lords and their wives."

"Look, Aang."

Katara sighed.

"This isn't up for debate. It's a decision Zuko and I had to make and we made it and we will be announcing it at the banquet. We just wanted you guys to know before that, because you're our friends and family and you deserve to know. But we won't change our minds about this."

The young Avatar clenched his hands into fists and inhaled, then turned and made to open the door, but before he could, a small hand grabbed his sleeve.

"Let go, Toph."

"You can't run away now. You're expected, Aang."

"I'm not running away."

He ripped the fabric out of her grip and left the room.

Katara sighed again. 

 

* * *

 

"There you are."

Toph crouched down and lifted the tablecloth to crawl under the table with her friend, bumping his shoulder with hers.

"Nice hiding spot, I must say."

"She won't ever love me the way I love her. And she never did."

His voice was quiet, barely audible over the chattering and music and laughing of the party going on, and Toph licked her lips.

"No. I suppose not."

He sniffled.

"I have loved her from the moment I lay eyes on her. It's not fair that she's marrying him now, it's not fair."

"Well, life's not fair, Twinkle Toes. I thought you'd have learned that by now."

Aang took a sip from his cup.

"I just ... Why doesn't she, Toph?"

"I don't know. Sometimes, people just don't fit, I guess. I mean, ... I had a crush on Sokka ... way back ... but you don't see me sulking over him and Suki, do you?"

"I am not sulking. And it's not just a crush. I'm tired of hearing that. It's not a crush, I really do love her. She's ... she's ..."

"Way too perfect in your eyes, Twinkles. That's why you didn't work out after your kiss in Ba Sing Se, y'know? Because you're not willing to see all of her or maybe you see it and just don't want to accept it, I don't know. If you'd have let her step of that pedastal, maybe you'd be the one marrying her, but as it is now, you have no choice but to let her go."

He made an unhappy noise.

"Since when are you an expert?"

"I'm not, but I've been talking to Iroh a lot since I arrived."

"About me?"

"Amongst other things."

 

* * *

 

 

"Have you seen Aang or Toph?"

Suki shook her head.

"Not in the past hour."

Zuko exhaled slowly, then looked at her.

"Do you think we're making a mistake?"

The young woman smiled gently.

"I don't know, Zuko. I really don't. Time will show, I guess. But I wouldn't expect Aang to be all that friendly for a while."

"No. I know."

He sighed and let his gaze wander over his people, the foreign guests, let it rest on Katara and Sokka dancing for a while before it flickered back to Suki.

"It's good you told us before announcing it publicly, though. It wouldn't have looked good had the Avatar just taken of in the middle of the celebrations."

"You think he'll forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. He's not angry with you, he's just ... disappointed. But that's a good thing, because he can't keep pretending that there's a possibility for him and Katara to end up together now. She'll be Fire Lady."

"You think Sokka'll forgive me?"

She was quiet for a heartbeat or two.

"Eventuallly."

 

* * *

 

"I don't like this necklace."

"Sokka."

They waltzed through the room, his arms around her, her fingers intertwined in his neck, and his face still was far too serious.

"It's an antiquated custom and not even a southern one."

"I won't be wearing it all that much, don't worry. It's just for tonight and official appearances. As soon as this is party is over, I'll be wearing Mom's necklace again."

She could see Zuko and Suki talking over her brothers shoulder, but there was still no sign of the youngest two of their group.

She had last seen Aang entertaining some nobleman's daughter with a few airbending tricks and Toph had been with her parents, or so she thought, but she wasn't sure when she had last spotted them.

"Good", Sokka muttered and spun her around. What do Fire Nation women usually get when somebody proposes to them?"

"A ring, I think. Like in the Earth Kingdom."

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"I'll miss you at home ..."

"I'm not getting married tomorrow."

Her voice was gentle.

"Probably not next year, either. It takes time to plan such a big event. We thought about ... maybe asking Aang to perform the ceremony ... as the Avatar, you know? A neutral person."

He snorted.

"Neutral."

"You know what I mean."

"I do. Just don't ask him tonight."

"I'm not that insensitive, Sokka. That's your job."

She smiled up at him and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"I don't need you to protect me, Sokka."

"You never did. Doesn't change that I want to protect you."


	16. Opening Chakras: Survival

_[124 AG]_

"Throughout your body, there are seven points where chi energy is heavily concentrated. Those points are called chakras. Each chakra has a specific purpose and deals with a different type of emotion. When a chakra is open, the energy flows freely. If it is sealed, it constricts that flow."

His father's voice was deep and calm and echoed from the cave walls and Shinrai straightened his back, resisted the urge to scratch his nose.

"I attempted to open them in order to control the Avatar State, but was unwilling, at first, to let go of my earthly attachments, which would have been necessary in order to open the seventh and final chakra."

"Why?"

"Why did I want to control the Avatar State?"

"Why wouldn't you let go?"

The boy tilted his head.

"Because I was in love. There wasn't much that was import to me anymore, during the war, and I just couldn't let go what still was. I had a vision of Katara and she was in danger and though the Guru warned me not to leave, I went to help her. Shortly after that, I got the scar on my back and my chakra was blocked again until I hit a rock."

"A rock?"

"Yes. In my final fight with Ozai, I was thrown against a rock and it hit the very same spot Azula's lightning had hit before."

Shinrai shook his head in disbelief.

"Sometimes, I think Aunt Toph's right; stuff just comes too easily for you. How can somebody be so ridiculously lucky?"

Aang smiled, eyes closed.

"Let's continue with the chakras, yes? It is what we came here for, after all."

"Please."

"We shall start with the Earth Chakra. It's the Chakra of Survival and blocked by fear. It is located in the base of your spine. To open it, you have to be aware of your fears and be able to let them go. What do you fear, Shinrai?"

"I ..."

Shinrai furrowed his brow.

His father blinked to look at him with gentle grey eyes.

"You don't have to tell me. Just think. And remember, we can stop at any time if it gets to much. There is always tomorrow and the day after that."

"Alright."

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, concentrating on the air travelling through his lean body, over throat and chest into the stomach, and then up again, slowly.

His fears.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Chansu's face flashed before his eyes, golden eyes glassy and unfocused, face much to still, and his eyelids twitched and his hands balled into tight fists when Luanshi's followed and then Baransu's, and faster and faster all of his siblings' faces.

He pressed his lips together.

A scream echoed in his ears, his own, and he felt himself falling like a stone, holding onto his useless staff, a little boy unable to fly.

His father had caught him, but he hadn't touched the glider for weeks afterwards.

He still didn't like to fly with just the glider.

Be aware of your fears.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

And let them go.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"You're doing great."

There was nothing to be afraid of.

Nothing.

He could fly, now.

He knew what to do.

And there would always be someone to catch him.

His family was save - his Dad was the Avatar.

If someone could protect them, it was him, they were safe, they wouldn't vanish, there was nothing threatening them, there was no reason to believe he could lose them like Dad had lost all his people.

He wouldn't be left as the last.

The world was at peace.

He was at peace.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

He blinked.

His father smiled at him.

"Congratulations on opening the Chakra of Survival."


	17. Glimpses II

_[130 AG]_

Ilesh, Prince of Ba Sing Se, second child and only son of the 52nd Earth King and the most dangerous Queen, pupil of Master Toph Bei Fong, currently living at the Southern Air Temple, was blushing furiously and, for once, at a loss for words.

"I ... I just ... I ..."

The girl in front of him raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Yes?"

She tilted her head and he scratched his neck.

"I ... I wanted ..."

He inhaled deeply and searched something to look at, to distract himself just a little from his fast beating heart, but he only met the gaze of one of her older brothers, sniggering into his fist, so he looked back at her.

"I ... have a question."

"I'm listening."

"Would ... I mean ... Would you like to go the Festival?"

A confused expression crept on her face.

"Why wouldn't I? We'll meet at Monk Gyatso' statue after dinner, if no one's told you yet."

"No, I mean ... just ... Just with me, you know? Like ... on a date. I'll tell the guards to stay at the temple and ... we could spend time together ... alone ... Only if you want to, of course, I'd never-"

"I'd like that."

He felt his heart flutter in his chest.

"You would?"

"Sure. Let's meet in front of my room, though, yeah? I feel like I'll get roped into watching the twins, otherwise, and that wouldn't be much of date then, would it?"

She grinned.

"You ... really?"

She pressed a kiss to his cheek, turned around and gone she was.

Ilesh sighed happily.

Senpu started laughing.

 

* * *

 

"Aanjing's got a date for the Festival. Sen told me."

Ganko was dangling upside down from a tree, while Luanshi went through earthbending forms, and he felt blood rush to his head and into his big ears.

His brother frowned.

"Someone other than Ilesh?"

"Wha- You knew about that? And you didn't tell me?"

Ganko swung up and grabbed onto his branch to pull himself up and climb a little higher.

"Well, he asked me not to. He wasn't sure if he'd have the courage to actually ask her out, so he didn't want anybody to know. It's none of our bussiness anyway."

"She's our sister!"

Luanshi pushed his headband out of his eyes and looked up grinning.

"So? He's a prince. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?"

 

* * *

 

"Are you sure we have to fly?"

Ilesh shuffled his feet nervously as he stared at the sky bison Tsetseg, offspring of Appa and Hatagtai and Aanjing Bei Fong's loyal companion for the past eight years or so, dozing next to Ganko's bison.

Oktai, he thought his name was.

The girl, currently securing a saddle on her furry friend's back, looked over to him and smiled bemused.

"Well, no, technically not. But it'll take forever to get down the mountain without her. So either we fly down and have fun at the Festival or we'll spend the entire night climbing down to the village."

The boy bit his lip.

"You never fly with the boys. I know Luanshi offered you to show how to use one of the gliders, but you weren't interested. Why's that?"

"I'm ... not a big fan of heights", he admitted sheepishly.

"That why you always insist on training deep inside the temple with Mom?"

"Yes. I noticed she tends to train near the cliffs you guys take off from and just standing there makes me nervous ... I don't wanna concentrate on not falling off a cliff when I learn new moves."

"I get that, I guess."

Aanjing hopped from Tsetseg's back and landed in front of him with barely a noise, brushed short dark bangs out of her grey eyes.

"Though airbending is all about jumping from cliffs. I promise you, nothing will happen. I've been doing this all my life. You just hold on tight and we'll be down there in a heartbeat. Hop on."

"Fine."

The boy grabbed a handful of fur and pulled himself up in the saddle, making Tsetseg grumble quietly.

"But only because I trust you."

"Wouldn't do me any good letting harm come to the Earth Prince, right? Don't worry."

With just a flick of her wrist, she catapulted herself on the bison's head.

 

* * *

 

The boy couldn't seem to stand still for even just a second.

He got that from his father, Toph decided, sighing as she smoothed down his soft curly hair and straightened out his collar.

"Mom", he whined and tried to pull away.

"Did you wash your face?", she asked.

"Yes."

"Liar. I can feel the dirt without even touching you. Now, go wash up or you'll stay home with Kibo and Baransu."

"Yeah. I'm sure they could need some help searching for that book of theirs", Aang's deep voice sounded behind them, and Aki finally wiggled away from his mother's fussing hands.

"The library's boring!"

"Well, then go wash your face. We'll wait here."

The boy groaned and then little feet trampled over the stone and Iwa, who probably hang on Aang's back, because Toph couldn't sense her on the ground, made an annoyed sound.

"I wanna go already. Why couldn't we go with Senpu, Luanshi and Ganko?"

"Because they'll just lose you in the masses and you two can't be trusted alone. Not after last time."

"Well, it's not our fault that those people were easily distracted", the girl protested. "Also, Aki gave everything back he stole. It was just a test."

"We went over this a million times already", Aang said. "You can't go around stealing stuff, no matter the reason, even if you give everything back. It reflecs badly on not only you but also the family."

"You and Mom and Uncle Sokka used to scam people, though."

Toph lifted a brow.

"Who told you that?"

"Uncle Sokka."

"Well, that was just once. And it was wrong. And Mom and Aunt Katara got in deep trouble for it, so that really shouldn't be your excuse."

Steps neared and Aki skidded to a halt next to them.

"All clean. Can we go now?"

"Is he?"

"He is. Come on, then, kids. Off to the festival we go."

"And no leaving our side."

Toph grabbed her youngest son's hand and he groaned again, dramatically.

 

* * *

 

It was dusty and pleasently cool between the high library walls and the old shelves, bending under the weight of centuries old knowledge.

Kibo coughed.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the Festival?", Baransu asked slowly.

"I'm sure", the younger brother replied in a calm voice. "And Mom doesn't me exhausting myself anyway, so I'm just fine sitting here. I enjoy spending time with you. And in the library."

"I know that. Nothing wrong with going to a festival every now and again, though. Like, ... with a pretty girl, for example ..."

"It's just gonna be loud and crowded, Baransu. Really, it's fine. You need that book and I have the time."

"Need is a strong word ..."

"Well, you want it. And I'd like to read it, too, should we find it. Can we stop talking about this now? Let's just enjoy the quiet, alright?"

Baransu climbed down a ladder.

"Sure, bud."

 

* * *

 

Jiyu always enjoyed herself greatly at the Spirit Festival Patola Village threw each year.

They'd visited the village frequently throughout her childhood - still did - and always took part in the celebrations held by the townsfolk, mostly because her father always was a guest of honor.

"Jiyu!"

She looked up and saw a pale hand waving over the heads of the crowd.

"Over here!"

She grinned and jogged over to her friends.

Rei and Vayu always looked a little odd next to each other, she short and sturdy, he tall and lanky, one pale as the moon, the other with the dark skin of the Water Tribes, both dressed in Air Nomad colours most of the time.

Rei's face fell a little.

Jiyu sighed.

"Didn't Kibo wanna come with you?", Vayu asked. "Pretty sure he was all for it yesterday."

"That was before Baransu showed up in the middle of the night looking for some books about lost fire bending techniques. They've been sitting in the library all day. I tried to drag him with me and Baransu tried to bring him to come with me, too, but he said he'd rather stay."

She shrugged.

"Don't take it personally."

"I don't", Rei muttered.

"Well", Vayu said loudly and wrapped an arm around each of them. "We can have fun without the least funny airbender. Let's get going, ladies."

 

* * *

 

"This is probably the best thing I've ever eaten", Luanshi moaned and shovelled more rice into his mouth.

Senpu watched him in disgust.

Ganko was fiddling with the mask he'd bought.

"You said that about the bananas. And the cookies. About everything you ever ate, really", he said frowning, then turned to Senpu. "Are we sure he's not secretly Uncle Sokka's child? I swear, only him and Shuang can eat like that."

"Not entirely, no."

"I'm as much Dad's child as you two and the other eleven. Mom says I've got a healthy appetite for a growing boy."

Senpu snorted and fell back into the high grass they were sitting in and watching the fireworks from.

"Mom's gotta cover up her affair with Uncle Sokka."

Ganko giggled when Luanshi stuck out his tongue.


	18. Bloodbending

_[102 AG]_

It was way too cold at the South Pole, in Toph's opinion, for anyone to actually enjoy living there, but still, here she was, freezing off her precious toes while Aang only wore his usual light robes and seemed to be perfectly fine.

"How are you not dead?"

"The years in the iceberg must've made him immune to the cold", Zuko muttered and his pale face was a mask of concentration when he poured tea for them, fingers wrapped tightly around the teapot's handle.

Sokka snorted amused.

"It's because I'm an airbender, actually."

Aang jumped off Katara's bed.

"It's a special breathing technique."

He inhaled deeply, eyes closed, and a gust of warm air nearly knocked Toph off the mattress, too, when he exhaled.

"Watch it, Twinkles."

"My bad. Sorry."

He plopped down next to Zuko, who wordlessly handed him a cup of his tea.

"Thanks."

"I just hope it tastes better than last time. I've been practicing, but Uncle still winces every now and again ..."

"You worry to much."

"He's more tense than usual, too", Suki observed, brows drawn together. "And that's saying something. What's wrong, Zuko?"

"Something with Azula?", Katara asked.

He shook his head and sighed.

"No, Azula's fine. Improving, even. At least that's what the healer says. She's talking a little more ... Spending time with our mother helps, too, I think. It's just ... I've been meaning to bring it up for the last few days, but ... we don't see each other that often and I don't always want to talk politics with you guys, but ..."

The young Fire Lord bit his lip.

"I have been informed about some pretty weird occurances over the years. And I think some of them - especially over the last three or four months - are connected to a type of bending I thought only Katara could do."

Sokka blinked.

"What are you talking about, dude?"

"I think somebody's bloodbending."

The room seemed to become even colder and Toph wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

"That's ... that's not possible", Katara stuttered, shaking her head vigorously. "I didn't teach anybody - I wouldn't! And Hama's died last year, in a Fire Nation prison. She couldn't have shown somebody else, either."

Her brother grabbed a cup of Zuko's tea and stood up, stretching.

"That doesn't rule out somebody figuring it out for themselves."

"Who would have a reason for that? At least Hama was wrongfully imprisoned when she first discovered it. Nobody is now, right?"

"Well, who was targeted?"

Zuko shrugged.

"Some high-ranking military personnel. Why?"

"We're fresh out of a hundred year long war. People hold grudges, guys, and in this case, I even think they're kinda entitled to it. Let's not pretend we don't all know how it feels to want to take revenge. Doesn't matter who those guys are, as long as they're Fire Nation."

He sipped his tea, wrinkled his nose.

"This isn't so bad."

"I appreciate your lies."

Aang fiddled with his cup nervously.

"What will you do about the bender?", he asked in a small voice.

"Find him or her, first and foremost. After that, ... I don't know. They technically didn't hurt anybody, nobody suffered lasting damage, nobody died. So technically, they didn't commit a crime, because it's not forbidden to bend."

"This should be forbidden", Katara said. "It's dangerous."

"Any kind of bending can be", Toph countered. "Just because people use it wrong doesn't mean its inherently bad. It can't be, it's just a bending style."

"You saw what Hama did. Nobody should have that much power about anyone else."

"Well, that's exactly my point. _Hama_ did something bad. Aang could suck the air out of your lungs right now and Zuko could light you on fire, but you won't forbid air- or firebending, right?"

"I could not!", Aang cried.

"Just because you never tried it doesn't mean it's not possible", she said.

"You can't compare airbending to bloodbending."

Katara stared up to the younger girl.

"It's not even remotely the same."

"It's bending, so yes, it is remotely the same."

"Toph-"

"Look", Suki interrupted. "I don't think Toph's arguing that bending someone's blood against their will is okay."

"I'm not."

"But ... you could do good with it, right? Like stopping someone from bleeding out, for example. It shouldn't be allowed to just control somebody like a puppet, but it shouldn't be outlawed completly, either, because if we just look into it more ... maybe one could actually help people with it."

"She used it to imprison people!"

"And that should be forbidden! Nobody's saying anything else, Katara. But aren't you at least a little curious about the things you could potentially do with it?"

"No. No, I'm not. We know plenty, I think."

"Forbidding something never stopped people from doing it", Sokka said calmly. "Maybe it would be smarter to look into it some more. Of course, we still have to deal with that waterbender attacking soldiers - or Zuko does, at least - and this should be spoken about, with the leaders of all nations and their diplomats. We should find out if there are any more bloodbenders out there and maybe keep an eye on them, for the time being, but ..."

"You were bloodbend, Sokka."

"Yes. And that's still what I think."


	19. Surprise

_[113 AG]_

"Look, Daddy!"

Raoshu's little face glowed with excitement, his dark blue eyes twinkling like the sea on a sunny day, and Zuko patted his head with a chuckle.

"Bison!"

"I see them, son."

"Uncle Avatar!"

The boy jumped up and down in uncontained glee, waving his hands, and it would come as a surprise to no one watching that the young prince worshipped the ground the Avatar walked on - he had done so since day one and wouldn't go to bed without a story about him now.

"Didn't you say they'd come next week?", Zunok said, who stood beside them in the courtyard, and looked up.

"At the latest, yes. Aang didn't know when he'd be home again. It's a good thing flying bison are hard to miss or we'd have a problem hosting the Avatar's family each time they come to visit. Aang's never on time."

Zuko grabbed Raoshu under the armpits and motioned his nephew to take a few steps back so the two bison could land without accidently crushing them, smiling when Aang waved enthusiastically from Appa's head. The smile only widened when he recognized Toph in the saddle.

On the second bison, Hatagtai, an arm was wrapped around little Ai's waist before she could jump from the saddle like she had seen her Daddy do countless times, while her brothers scrambled down the animal's tail.

Aang, Senpu and Kibo now in his arms, Jiyu clinging to his neck, hopped off his companion with the same boyish grin on his pale face he had sported as a twelve-year-old.

"Hey there, Sifu Hotman."

"Please, not in front of the kids."

But they were both laughing and as soon as Aang had set his children down, Zuko wrapped his arms around him and Raoshu attached himself to the bald man's leg.

"Good to see you, man."

Aang ruffled Raoshu's hair.

"And good to see you, little buddy. My, you're getting big. You're nearly as tall as Auntie Toph now! You're probably already taller than her, Zun."

The boys grinned.

"Hey! Stop spewing wisecracks and help me get down!"

"Since when does she need help getting down?", Zuko asked and raised an eyebrow.

He wasn't so sure if he liked the twinkling of Aang's eyes as he pried the Crown Prince of his leg.

"Got a surprise for you guys."

"The last time you had a surprise, you presented us with Furoto and Katara didn't stop muttering about it for weeks, Aang. And speaking of Furoto, where is he?"

"Dropped him of with his mother. They haven't seen eachother in a while. Now", he grabbed Jiyu's hand before the child could yank on Zuko's robes, "I have to go get Toph, because she's very cranky lately. Flying did not make it better. Never did. Keep an eye on the kids?"

"Sure."

Aang jumped back on Appa just as three little boys crashed into the Fire Lord's legs, a fourth one screaming "Uncle Zuzu!" happily.

Behind them stood the Mothers of the Air Nation, as Sokka liked to call them, which certainly was a better name than The Avatar's Concubines, mostly because Zuko was pretty sure Aang hadn't touched any of them since they'd gotten pregnant.

Ayaka had a pouting Ai on her hip and smiled at him, and he smiled back brightly, lifting his arms.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation. It's nice to see all of you again."

Sakura bowed respectfully before him, as she did every time they met, though he must've told her it was unnecessary to do so half a dozen times by now, and her twins hurried to mimic the motion.

"Flameo", one of them said.

Zuko thought it was Shinrai, because of the top knot he wore, but he really didn't spend enough time around those kids to be sure.

"Flameo, young man."

"Told you I'd bring that back", he heard Aang laugh and looked up from the children's heads to see Toph cling to the Avatar's neck, muttering profanities.

"Hey there, Champ", he laughed.

"Ugh. Sparky, I'm not in the mood."

Aang rubbed the woman's back.

" _And_  I told ya she's cranky."

"Watch it, Twinkles. It's your fault I'm like this, anyways."

She let go of the young airbender and yawned and Zuko lifted his one good brow in surprise, blinking.

"Ah, stunned silence."

"You're pregnant", he said, not entirely sure what to think of that.

"Very much so, yes. Wouldn't recommend it to you."

Senpu toddled over to his parents as fast as his chubby legs would carry him and squealed happily when Toph scooped him up, her face brightening.

"You could have written us, you know? We wrote about Katara's pregnancy."

"But where would be the fun in that, eh?"

Toph grinned at him and Aang smiled and Zuko could tell just by looking at them who's idea this surprise had been, so he sighed and said: "Well, congratulations then, I guess. When are you due?"

"Soon."

She shrugged, one hand on her stomach.

He shook his head, now smiling himself again.


	20. Exploring

_[119 AG]_

  
Jiyu didn't much enjoy staying at the Fire Nation Royal Palace.

She loved her aunt and uncle, of course, and she always looked forward to playing with Raoshu and Yukiko, but she'd much rather do it at the temple, where there were no rules other than don't enter Daddy's study and tell us where you're going before you run off. Also, no unsupervised flying.

Kibo didn't really care, obviously, because General Iroh was here and her brother worshipped the ground the old man walked on, drinking tea and playing Pai Sho with him for hours on end, only ever coming to play with them when the General shooed him off with a good-natured smile.

_"Young boys shouldn't sit with old men all day. Run along now."_

There were too many rules here and way too many people to enforce them, too. They lurked around every corner and seemed to just materialize out of thin air whenever Jiyu had a brilliant idea.

Even Raoshu and Yuki, who'd lived here all their lives, couldn't quite figure out how to get around them when they where out exploring, which was really the only cool thing one could do here.

(That the prince was up to as well, that was. He insisted he only accompanied them to make sure they didn't stick their noses where they didn't belong. He'd like to spend time with Grandfather-uh-Uncle-I-mean-General-Iroh-The-Dragon-of-the-West just as much as Kibo, thank you very much.)

Most of her siblings had staid home, too, so she couldn't even count on Chansu to cook up some wacky plan, rope a very reluctant Shinrai into helping him and actually go through with it, too, and though he only ever had her stand watch, even that was more interesting than wandering the seemingly empty hallways alone.

Which was what she was currently doing.

Kibo was curled up somewhere with a book and Luanshi was off sparring with Yukiko, because "how else am I supposed to become the bestest pro-bender, ever", supervised by Zunok, but watching a match between those two was no real fun.

Neither of them could do much, as they were only six years old, and both of them took their bending and themselves way too serious.

They always ended up shouting at eachother and she didn't care to be around for that.

She sighed heavily.

Dad was away with Appa, collecting Furoto from his mother and the little brother he barely saw, Senpu had gone with him - she was beginning to regret that she hadn't -, Raoshu had princely lessons to attend and everybody else - namely Aanjing and Ganko - was a baby, so of no use to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into someone.

"Why, young Miss Jiyu, how nice to meet you again."

She bit back a groan when she looked up into the face of Akio, one of Uncle Zuko's advisors, a man with a face like a weasel-ferret's and sharp golden eyes and probably some title or other the girl couldn't remember.

He wasn't very likable, even her uncle would admit that, but he apparently was brilliant and also very loyal to him as Fire Lord, so Jiyu supposed she could see why he kept him around.

She bowed to him Fire-Nation-style, but he didn't bow back.

"Surely you know that this wing of the palace is restricted to only members of the royal family and a few handpicked others?"

She hadn't, actually.

How come there hadn't someone crawled out of a corner to stop her aimless walking before this?

"Come with me, I will escort you back to your father."

Akio smiled down at her in an odd sort of way that made it seem like he wasn't really smiling at all.

"Daddy's not here."

"Well, your mother, then."

"She's not, either."

"I saw her not ten minutes ago, do not try confusing me, young lady."

The girl furrowed her brows.

"Mom's on her honeymoon with Amaruq. She's not here", she insisted. Then: "Oh. Do you mean Auntie Toph? But she's not my mother. You know that, right?"

She still stared up at him.

"She is your father's wife. Does that not make her as good as your mother?"

"Well, no. It just makes her Auntie Toph, because, you know, I already have a mom who's not her. Like, ... she's Sen's mom, because his real mom died when he was a baby, but my mom's not dead. So she's Auntie Toph."

He stared back into her greyish-brown eyes, unblinking, for just a moment, before he grabbed her small hand and shook his head, apparently deciding that this was not something worth arguing over.

At least not with an eight-year-old.

"I'll bring you to your Auntie, then."

She pulled her hand from his grasp.

"Fine. But I can walk on my own. I don't like holding hands."

The man sighed and ushered her down the corridor, clearly annoyed now; it didn't take them long to reach their destination, a heavy, dark door - still in the wing she shouldn't have stepped foot in, she thought - and knock.

One, two, three firm knocks.

"Come in", Uncle Zuko's voice replied.

He sounded thoughtful.

Akio opened the door and pushed her inside, then bowed deeply because there was, of course, Uncle Zuko in that room and though she herself had never bowed to him, she did understand why other people did.

Kind of.

Uncle Zuko bowed back, not nearly as deep, and smiled a little.

"Councilman Akio. What can I do for you again?"

"I just stumbled upon this young lady walking corridors she shouldn't be walking, so I thought I would bring her here, because I knew her mother-"

"She is not my mother!", Jiyu interrupted.

"-to be here. Though ... I don't see her now. I am sorry for the disturbance, Mylord, I shall-"

"Oh. No, no."

Uncle Zuko lifted a hand and shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Jiyu can stay with me, if she wants to."

He smiled at her.

"Yes, please."

The girl grinned back and ran around him, climbing into a big chair behind an equally massive desk, gazing down on important looking papers.

Was this Uncle Zuko's study?

She'd never seen it before.

It was very different from Daddy's study, she thought as she looked around, the red and black and golden walls making it seem much smaller than it actually was, somewhere deep inside the palace instead of atop the highest tower of the temple.

The furniture was dark and wooden.

Everything in Daddy's study was made of the same stone the temple was made out of, and Jiyu wondered for the first time if he had made his desk, his chair, his shelves himself or if he'd had help from Auntie Toph or if the room just had always been like that.

"Very well. I apologize again."

"Oh, no, please don't. Thank you for accompanying Jiyu here. You may leave now."

He was still smiling.

Akio bowed again and pulled the door shut when he took a step back.

Uncle Zuko turned around, eyebrow raised curiously, but she wasn't quite sure what questions where going through his head, so she just met his gaze and waited.

"What were you doing in this part of the palace?", he asked finally.

"I was exploring. I didn't know I wasn't allowed to come here, promise."

"All alone?"

"Well, yes. Everybody else is busy doing something else. Shoulda gone with Daddy and Sen. Flying's always fun, especially with Dad. Why'd he think Auntie Toph was here?"

"Oh, because she was just a few minutes ago. But she went to look for you kids, check if Zunok was bored with the little ones yet, see if Kibo needs something. Why'd he call her your mother?"

She sighed, annoyed, and Uncle Zuko grinned.

"Nobody quite understands your family, huh?"

"No. It's stupid. It's not hard, right? To remember she's not my mom, I mean. I guess it's a little harder to remember Mommy, 'cause she's not important like you and Daddy and Auntie Toph, but, like, ... she's still my mom."

"Your mother is very important, Jiyu. To the world at large and to you alone, because she is your mother. Yours is a family very different from what people are used to, so they frown upon it, even if they see why the arrangements made were very much necessary", he said and grabbed her under her armpits to lift her atop his desk, so he could sink into his chair.

She tried not to shuffle his papers.

Without the grin, a small frown replacing it instead, Uncle Zuko looked very tired.

And much older than he probably was, though she wasn't entirely clear on how old exactly all of Daddy's friends were.

"It's not like there never were families like yours before. Aang ... your father assures there were very many before the war, and concubines were a very common thing, especially in Earth Kingdom high society, not a heartbeat ago."

He shook his head.

"But it's not common anymore now and it was never in the Fire Nation, so you have to just ignore it, when close-minded people like Akio insist on calling your auntie your mom. I know that's not easy, sometimes, but it's what your father and Aunt Toph do. Your mom and other aunts, as well, I suspect."

"It's really, really annoying, though ...", she said.

"I can imagine. But you have a lot of experience ignoring annoying people, right? You're gonna have four little siblings soon, after all."

Her eyes widened.

His did, too.

"Really?"

"They didn't tell you kids, yet. I forgot. Don't tell your Auntie Toph you know from me, please."

"Wh- But she can read my mind!"

Which brought the smile back to his face.

He actually laughed out loud.

"Is that what she's telling people these days?"


	21. Prince Zunok, Uncle Zuko

_[107 AG]_

His nephew was, without a doubt, the tiniest person Zuko had seen in his entire life.

Aang's son, when introduced to him and Katara, had already been three months old and outside of his friend's little boy, he had never really paid much mind to such small children, because why should he?

He was the Fire Lord, he had much more important things to think about than other people's children - children, in general, only ever crossed his mind when he thought about the necessity of an heir.

Sometimes when looking at Katara.

Sometimes when thinking about Furoto.

In recent months whenever he was with his younger sister.

It had been hard, getting used the idea of her becoming a mother; for Azula herself even more so than for him, he knew, because a child had never been part of her plans, a mother was not what she envisioned herself to be, ever.

She still wouldn't tell him how exactly she had gotten herself into this situation.

He still didn't know who the baby's father was - in fact, nobody did, except for maybe Mai and Ty Lee, who always knew everything, though neither of them even still lived in the Fire Nation, and all of this had caused him quite a few headaches over the past months.

They had been rather worth it, he thought, as he looked down into the angelic face of his peacefully slumbering nephew now.

"Did you decide on a name, yet?"

Azula didn't look up from her son.

She hadn't stopped smiling since he'd entered the room.   
  
He liked seeing her so happy.

"Zunok."

Zunok.

Prince Zunok of the Fire Nation.

Son of Azula and ... some guy.

His nephew.

He couldn't wait to be called 'Uncle Zuko'.

"I like it", he said.

"I just might change it, then", she replied.


	22. People change, right?

_[120 AG]_

"No."

"Toph-"

"I said no, Aang!"

He sighed heavily.

"So you're not even willing to discuss this with me?"

"There is nothing to discuss", she retorted, pushing bangs out of her sea-foam eyes to glare in his general direction. "I will not let those terrible people anywhere near my son and that's final. No discussion needed."

"Darling-"

"Don't."

"The woman is dying, Toph."

"So? People die, Aang. How is that our problem?"

"I know you don't mean that", he said, voice quiet, and grabbed her wrist to pull her closer, to wrap his arms around her waist and lean his forehead against the bulge of her stomach, exhaling slowly.

Her fingers caressed his ears; he closed his eyes.

"I'm not happy with this situation, either, Toph, you have to know that I'm not. But they are his grandparents and if Fei Ming wants to meet him ..."

He sighed again.

"He has so many questions about Meikin that I can't answer and it breaks my heart to see how disappointed he is every time I don't know something about her he's curious about."

"He never asks me those questions."

Her voice was quiet now, too, all anger gone.

He held her tighter, smiled when he felt their child move - children, she insisted, but he wasn't able to pick up on more than two heartbeats coming from her, so they'd see about that one.

"I don't think he knows how to approach the topic of his other mother with you. Any of us, really, but you especially. You're his mom. She is, too. Was. Would've been. I don't know. It's complicated and he's just a ten-year-old boy."

"I don't want him to get hurt, Aang."

"I don't want him to get hurt, either. Mostly because I'd have a rather hard time holding you back from killing anyone who does hurt him. You're scary when you're angry", he murmured and felt her hands on his stubbly head, tracing the arrow she didn't need to see to know where it was; he had guided her hands over each of them many times by now.

He blinked.

"Real scary."

"Good", she said and he could hear the smile in her voice, as small as it was.

"People change, right?"

"Sure. Sometimes. Zuko wouldn't be our friend, otherwise."

"He's our friend because we gave him a chance. Maybe we should give the Huangs one too, then. It's been ten years, they could've seen the error of their ways, right? Maybe they did a long time ago and were hestitant to approach me about meeting Senpu because of everything that went down after Mei died. And now they may not have much more time to make it right anymore. Fei Ming doesn't, in any case."

"Or maybe they're still assholes."

"Yes, well, maybe we should meet them, then. See for ourselves if they're still assholes. Without Senpu, of course, and then take him when we're sure they won't drop him like a hot potato when he makes a choice they don't agree with."

"Like Meikin."

"... Yeah."

He pressed a kiss to her stomach, then shut his eyes again and groaned softly.

"Why can't this be easy?"


	23. Eleven Children

_[117 AG]_

  
"I'll be a father soon."

"You say that like it's just hit you", said Zuko and poured tea. 

"And there is nothing greater in the world", Aang added and smiled brightly, then kissed his child's head and whispered soothing words into her ear. "I can promise you that. You have nothing to be nervous about, Sokka. You'll make a great father."

It was cold inside the Chief's study, despite it being summer, but, Zuko supposed, summer was but a word at the South Pole; he never seemed to notice any change in temperature when he visited his wife's home.

It was always just cold.

"But how do you know that?", Sokka whined.

"Well, because I've seen you with our children, for one. They adore you and you adore them. Baransu aspires to be just like you when he grows up, which is a relieve, really, because Chansu aspires to be just like Bumi."

Aang made a thoughtful face, his hand stilling on Aanjing's back for a moment.

"He's nearly got the laughter down, which is spooky, you know, because he's never even actually met Bumi."

Zuko lifted his good brow.

Aang shook his head.

"Sorry. Not the point of this conversation."

"Look, buddy, it's normal to be nervous about that stuff. Especially now, that Suki is so close to giving birth", Zuko said. "I know I was nervous and I'm sure Aang was, as well."

"Oh, very much so. I was only seventeen. And I knew I'd be raising Furoto by myself. Mostly, anyway."

"And this is a very big change", he continued. "Change is scary. You were nervous to take over as Chief for your father, right?"

"Of course."

"So, you're allowed to be nervous now. You've never been a father before, but ... people are known to grow with their challenges, right? I mean, ... look at us. The Avatar, the Fire Lord, the Chief of the South. Could you have imagined this twenty years ago? Us? Doing as well as we are?"

"Twenty years ago, I didn't know either of you. But no ... I guess during the war, I didn't often dare to think this far ahead ... I honestly didn't think we'd all make it through. And ... I mean, I guess you're right. We did grow into our roles ... gradually."

Sokka took a sip of his tea and sighed.

"So you guys think don't think I'll mess up ... ?"

"You're gonna be a good dad even if you do mess up. People mess up. A lot. Especially when they're still learning. I did. I still do. And I have eleven children."

"You have eleven children."

Sokka shook his head.

Zuko chuckled.

Aang grinned and kissed Aanjing again.

"And they're all adorable."

"Also, demonic."

"Well, not all of them. Chansu, maybe. And Luanshi, if you give him some time to grow into himself, but then, he's Toph's child, so what else would you expect? Spirits, he's four already ... And To-To's just turned twelve! You guys think we're getting old?"

He grabbed the cup Zuko held out to him and took a sip, Aanjing now chewing on his collar.

"You're twenty-nine."

"A hundred and twenty-nine", Sokka corrected. "You have been old for as long as I've known you, buddy. Zuko and me, though? In the prime of our lives."

"You sound like Toph."

"She likes remembering what an old man she married?"

"Whenever she wants to annoy me, yes. Or her dad."


	24. Something of his Uncle

_[112 AG]_

The little boy's hair was messy and his topknot loose and he looked like Zuko and he looked like Lu Ten and he looked just like his mother as he grabbed the Rose Tile and pushed it over the board, brows knitted together and the tip of his tongue between his lips.

He looked up and grinned.

"Gotcha!"

"Are you sure?"

Iroh smiled.

"You may want to take another look at that."

And for just a moment, when he realized where he had gone wrong - that he had just traipsed into his great-uncle's carefully planned trap -, he looked so much like his grandfather always had when losing a game to his big brother, Iroh almost looked away from him.

There were traces in him, of course, of other people.

He laughed like nobody Iroh had ever met, for example, though he was sure someone would find the child's loud guffaw eerily familiar, if they'd just meet, which they probably never would - or maybe they already had and neither knew.

"Oh man! Can I take it back?"

"Well ..."

"Please? Just this once?"

Sooner or later, they always had this conversation.

And he always said: "Of course. Just this once."

Zunok was, after all, just a boy of five.

Terribly all his ancestors and beautifully himself.

Nothing wrong with giving him a chance for a do-over.

Correct a mistake.

Of course, it wouldn't always be as easy as pulling back a tile and pushing forward another, but he didn't need to know that, yet.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Which tile should I take instead?"

"Well, what do you think?"

"Hmmm ..."

He grabbed the Lotus Tile, then.

Maybe there was something of his old unlce in the boy, too.


	25. Opening Chakras: The Spirit World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what this chapter is.

_[125 AG]_

  
Shinrai sat, his legs crossed and his breath even, amidst the statues of Avatars past, in the spot a statue of his father would one day occupy. 

His eyes were closed, his mind was open and it was cold and quiet inside the sanctuary, just him and ghosts in every corner, no lemurs chattering, no siblings laughing, not in here, and so he concentrated on his breathing, on the air travelling through his body, on his heart beating a steady rhythm. 

Breathing in, breathing out, he let go of the world. 

He could love without belonging. 

He could love without depending. 

He could let go without losing what was important. 

Who was important. 

He let go of the nervous fear rising in him, threatening to block his Earth Chakra, for there was no reason to be afraid; he knew people who had both entered and survived the Spirit World, mere mortals like him, and he trusted in his abilities and himself, trusted in the universe. 

What had to happen would happen, regardless of what he did. 

Breathe in. 

Breathe out. 

He felt the world slip away.    
  


* * *

 

"Where's your brother?" 

"Which one of them?", Chansu asked absentmindedly, not looking up from the glider he was mending, making his mother sigh. 

"Shinrai", she said.  

"Ah ... he's off meditating somewhere, I think. Not sure where. Maybe ask Baransu?"   
  


* * *

  
The boy blinked. 

He lifted a hand up and slowly examined each long finger, still his but different somehow, then patted down his chest, still wrapped in yellow and orange robes, raked a trembling hand through his wild dark hair. 

He was still him. 

Still his hands, still his robes, still his body. 

But this was most definitely not the sanctuary. 

It looked much like the village at the foot of the Patola mountain range, but when he looked up, he couldn't see the mountains and he couldn't see the temple, there was just the eerily blue sky and no clouds and ... no sun. 

Shinrai swallowed. 

Why wasn't it dark? 

Not that he could see stars or the moon that would make him more comfortable with it being night, but if there was no sun, if there was no source of light, why was the world not shrouded in darkness, why could he see? 

He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down. 

Why did none of the houses look like nobody had ever set foot in them? 

His friend Aigou was supposed to live over there and his window shutters were always open, but they weren't now, and everything was like it always was, if you ignored the missing _mountain_ , but even the things that hadn't mysteriously vanished were ... just kind of wrong. 

He sank to the ground.   
  


* * *

 

"He hasn't moved in nearly a day." 

"So?" 

" _So_ , why are you sitting here?" 

The boy was silent for a moment. 

His sister lifted an eyebrow. 

"Luanshi." 

"... I'm waiting for him to piss himself." 

"You're terrible, is what you are."   
  


* * *

  
He put his head in his hands and tried to control his breathing the way Uncle Zuko had taught him, but it was hard controlling anything - his heart, his mind, his breathing - right about now. 

"Do not be afraid, young one." 

The voice was soft and gentle and familiar in a very unfamiliar way, and Shinrai lifted his gaze, hands only trembling a little, before blinking away unshedable, unexplainable, nervous tears and taking in the woman before him. 

She was short and chubby, not so much older than him, with an incredibly open face, as friendly as his father's, and her body, so unlike that of a typical Air Nomad woman, if his sisters were anything to go by, was wrapped in the colours of his people. 

Her hairline wasn't shaven like that of a nun in one of Baransu's history books, like Ai's had been, though, and she had no tattoos marking her as an Airbending Master. 

Still, there was no doubt in his mind to which nation she belonged even before she knelt and said: "I am Asha of the Air Nomads. What do you wish to be called?" 

"Shin- ... Shinrai." 

He licked his dry lips. 

"I really am in the Spirit World, aren't I?" 

"You are." 

"But I am not ... I am not dead. I know I'm not." 

He knew. 

He knew. 

"Was this not your goal, Shinrai? Entering this realm?" 

"It was, but ..." 

He shook his head in confusion. 

"I never thought it possible", he admitted quietly. "Never really. I worked for it, of course, I worked hard, but ... I am not the Avatar, after all, or even a Guru. I tried before and I always failed. I was told it would be impossibly hard to enter without someone on this side willing to help me ... find a door, if you will. Or even just a window." 

He furrowed his brow. 

"I don't know you." 

She smiled. 

Her eyes were grey, he noticed. 

They twinkled like Chansu's when on a mission, like dad's when tucking him in as a little boy, like Ritan when he stole the last cookie, like Aki when intently listening, like his own when he practiced his smile before the mirror. 

"Who are you?"   
  


* * *

  
"There is nothing to worry about", Aang said calmly and put a hand on his son's shaggy head, twisted a lock around his index finger. "He is a smart boy and it has only been three days, Sakura." 

"He is sixteen, Aang, and he was not made for this. Nobody but the Avatar is supposed to even be able to enter the Spirit World", she replied. 

She crossed her arms over her chest. 

He sighed. 

"That's not entirely true. And airbending is the most spiritual of all bending forms. You free your mind, you open your chakras, the chi flows freely. It'll make you a better bender. It's the reason behind the tattoos, they follow the-" 

"Aang." 

"Right. He's safe, for now, is what I'm saying. There is nobody in the Spirit World he'd cling to if he'd find them. That's what usually makes these trips dangerous. I spend a long time searching for Gyatso once, but he'd already reentered the cycle of reincarnation, and I'm glad for that now. It is, indeed, not healthy to spend to long there. Time is ... funny, over there. It's been three days for us - it could be a minute or a week or a month for him. Maybe just a second. In any case not enough to start worrying, yet. If he is not back in another three days, I will set out to find him." 

"One day." 

"Two." 

Sakura pressed her lips together. 

"Fine."   
  


* * *

  
"I told you. My name is Asha." 

"Of the Air Nomads, yes. Why don't you have any tattoos, then? Are you not a bender?" 

A nonbending Air Nomad had been a rarity before the war, he knew, because Baransu and Kibo knew, because his brothers never shut up about their history, before all of the benders had been murdered and the few remaining nonbenders had hidden away with just a handful of memories and stories and no hope to ever rebuild their nation. 

And a bunch of bison, of course. 

"I never achieved mastery." 

"All the Air Nomads died over a hundred years ago." 

"Has it been so long?", she sighed. 

The twinkle left her eyes. 

Sadness replaced it. 

He felt bad, because it felt like blinking into the disappointed eyes of his siblings. 

Shinrai inhaled. 

"Why didn't you ever become a master?" 

"I always was a mediocre bender. And I died rather young." 

"I'm ... sorry." 

"Don't be. It was nobody's fault." 

"Sozin-" 

"I died in childbirth, Shinrai." 

"Oh."   
  


* * *

  
"Stop doing that." 

Chansu swatted away Ai's hands. 

So she took a deep breath and sneezed instead, nearly knocking both brothers over, the moving and the unmoving, the aware and the unaware, then rubbed her nose. 

"He's gathering dust." 

"He's not a statue!" 

"Yeah, well, he's behaving like one."   
  


* * *

  
Asha straightened and reached out a hand for him to grab, for him to pull himself up, and he grabbed it, because he really could use a hand to hold, even if just for a moment. 

"Childbirth?" 

"Yes. A little boy. Now." 

She let go of his hand. 

"Enough about me." 

"What? No. I'm ... I've never ..." 

Both Baransu and Kibo would strangle him if he didn't get in a question or two, if he didn't ask about life at the temples before the fucking genocide, but his mind raced and stood very still at the same time and her eyes were his father's and what the actual fuck was even going on here? 

He had been so sure about doing this. 

And now here he stood, finally in the Spirit World, with an actual spirit, and he couldn't think. 

He hadn't expected to meet his goddamn grandmother. 

Because who else could she be? 

He was tied to her, she was his door, his window, his crack in the wall, and she shouldn't be here anymore, but she was, and she didn't look like dad at all, except she did in all the ways that mattered, and nothing made sense anymore.   
  


* * *

  
Little feet shuffled over the ground. 

Someone giggled. 

Then was shushed. 

Aang's nose twitched. 

"Kids." 

"Dad, we wanna watch." 

"There is nothing to watch, Ganko. Run along now, Daddy needs to concentrate. It is not an easy feat, entering the Spirit World. And it is a very big place - I could very easily land where I don't want to be, so please, go find mom, yes?" 

"Please?" 

"I'm sorry, but no." 

They left sighing and muttering and complaining, but they pulled the door shut behind them, and the Avatar straightened his back.   
  


* * *

  
"Shinrai?" 

The boy turned his head. 

His father stood just out of arm's reach, tall and proud and smiling, and he heaved a sigh of relieve upon seeing him, shoulders sagging. 

"Dad!" 

He nearly fell over himself running to him. 

Aang wrapped his arms around him tightly. 

"You've been gone for nearly a week." 

"I- What? No. I've just been talking with Asha for maybe five minutes." 

"Who's Asha?" 

"She's-" 

He left his father's embrace to look over his shoulder, but she was gone, there was nothing but ... was there air in the Spirit World?

He knew one couldn't bend here, so probably not. 

"-a spirit I met." 

"Oh. Was she a good spirit? There's a lot of malevolent, mischievious spirits, some very dangerous. You didn't seem to be in any distress, I didn't think-" 

"It's alright, Dad. She was very nice. She was ... very nice." 

"Spirits, I should've listened to your mother sooner." 

"Well, that's just always true." 


	26. Four Months

_[162 AG]_

  
"Are you alright?"

"I am pregnant." 

They had been married for almost thirteen years. 

He'd heard her say those words five times before, excited, tired, tearful; never so hollowly. 

They had buried five children who'd never even taken a breath. 

Ganko turned around to his wife, hands still on the buttons of his shirt, frozen, and she looked up at him with a blank face, glad for probably the first time in their married life that he couldn't see her.  

"... are you sure?"

"My mother confirmed it yesterday. I didn't know how to tell you." 

She lifted a shaking hand and raked it through her greying black hair. 

"How far along-" 

"Four months." 

"F- ... four months? I ... How ... You didn't notice before?" 

There was no accusation in his voice, just genuine confusion, and Yukiko exhaled, eyes closed, shaking her head. 

"Well, of course I noticed changes, Ganko. I'm not entirely dense. But I'm fourty-nine years old, I just ... I thought I was entering menopause." 

"Menopause ... ?"

"The end of my fertile years. It's what happens to women around my age. And we've always been so very careful, I didn't think ..." 

She shook her head again. 

"My robes were starting to feel ... rather snug. Surely you noticed that I gained some weight over the past few months." 

"I ... Maybe. I didn't wanna comment on it. You're pregnant. I can't believe it. And four months without any complications! There always were complications. That's a good sign, right?  Everything's been going well. Are you feeling well?" 

"You always get so excited when there's never anything to be excited about." 

"You're pregnant! Why wouldn't I be excited?" 

"Because I never stay pregnant, Ganko! I don't think I'm able to carry a child to term. We came so close four years ago and then everything still went to hell! I can't do this again! I thought we were done with this!" 

"Yuki ..." 

"There's ways to end this." 

He blinked. 

His arms fell to his sides. 

"And you want to do that?" 

"I don't know." 

Her voice trembled. 

"I don't know, Ganko, I ... I ..." 

He fell onto the bed next to her and wrapped both too long arms around her tightly, burying his face in her dark hair, and she sagged against him. 

She sniffled. 

He kissed her head. 

"Whatever you decide", he said slowly, "I will be by your side." 

"I don't want to decide anything", she retorted, her voice muffled by his robes. "I can't. I ... I'm so old now, Gan-Gan, and that doesn't make things any better. I mean, I was always too old, maybe you should've just married someone not nearly fourty when you were basically still a baby-" 

"I was thirty." 

And he couldn't help the small snort. 

"I wouldn't say I was a baby. And you were thirty-six, don't pretend like you're ancient. We have this talk far too often", the man whispered into her hair. "I love you. Have loved you since I was about twenty-two, so for about ... oh, twenty years now. Half my life. Won't stop anytime soon." 

She sighed. 

"I know." 

Her voice was tired. 

"I love you, too." 


End file.
